Not Letting Go
by Neverfinished
Summary: A slow burn love story of Max Caulfield and Kate Marsh. Spoilers: It takes place after Max and Chloe go to the junkyard to try and stop Nathan from getting rid of Rachel's body, not knowing it was actually Jefferson. Chloe's killed and Max loses her powers, seemingly from Jefferson's sedation drugs. (If you know how to add links, please advise. Working links are on AO3 for music.)
1. Chapter 1

Kate Marsh stood staring at the door to Max's dorm room. She had meant to knock as soon as she reached it and there she was with a fist ready, but her arm hung still. Doubt held her back. She wanted, no, needed to do this right. She couldn't fail Max, not after all she had done for Kate herself.

Max did not need talking down from a ledge, but she needed something, or someone right now. The poor girl's childhood friend died right in front of her. Everyone was talking about it. Talking about how they found Rachel Amber, about what Jefferson was doing, what he did or might have done with Max, until he was shot dead, about the possible trial coming up for Chloe's step-dad David, the hero who now may have to defend himself. After all she had been through, she may now need to relive it in her future testimony after already being questioned about it.

Kate had already started seeing a counselor since the incident on the roof, but this new knowledge and it's connection to her added a whole new level to their sessions. She assumed Max was getting her own therapy, but all she knew was the photographer's parents had come for a day, just in time for the funeral for Chloe Price, and, in a flash, were gone the next. That was this morning. Kate thought it best to give her space, especially with her family there, but she had to at least check on her friend. They both were given work to turn in as they finished, but were excused from attending classes. So, Kate knew that she may have had plenty of other opportunities, but it was time. In her hand she clutched a small stuffed bunny which held a tiny card.

Kate tucked the gift under her arm as she straightened her sweater out, smoothed down her skirt and let out a quiet but deep breath. She idly twisted her cross necklace back and forth in between her thumb and index finger for a moment. Finally, the nervous girl gave a timid knock. Kate did not know what she would say, but felt that she had waited long enough.

Nothing, no response.

She tried again, knocking lightly at first again, but then somewhat more firmly a couple more times.

Still nothing.

"M-Max?" Kate murmured, then again with more confidence, "Max?"

Kate thought she heard papers russling. She looked around the hall once, and seeing no one, put her ear to the door. She heard a faint groan and more movement of paper. For a few moments there was nothing and then suddenly she heard a noise right by the door. Kate stood back and waited, but the door did not open. She hesitated for a moment, but mentally pushed herself forward to return to the door and spoke even more gently, guessing how close the other girl would be.

"...Max?"

The response came delayed and slow, as if hoping she was guessing right but afraid to be wrong, "Kate?"

"Yes, it's me. I wanted to...I wanted to see you. I don't know if you're up for-"

Before she could finish her sentence the door swung open wide in an instant Max practically fell on her. All Kate could do was hold her slightly smaller friend, dropping the bunny and card to the floor. Max clung onto Kate, her arms locked firmly around the blonde's waist. Kate was speechless at first. She did not hear any crying from Max, but she felt tears against her neck as Max dug her head in and sighed deeply, almost shuddering. Kate's heart broke for her friend. She was glad Max could not see how much it devastated her. The slightly taller girl needed a moment to compose herself, so she could be strong for Max.

Kate leaned her own cheek lightly against Max's and, not knowing what else to say at the moment, said soothingly, "I'm here Max, I'm here."

Kate's hand went instinctively to stroke Max's hair. It was a mess, but felt soft through her fingers. Max made a smaller sigh and then pulled away. She still loosely held Kate, but looked almost through her as she said, "S-sorry. I don't know why..." Her voice trailed off and she let go of Kate completely and crossed her arms. She looked down and awkwardly back to Kate with blood shot eyes and dried blood under her nose.

Kate had let go of Max when she pulled away, but put a hand on her shoulder and said with a light squeeze, "You have nothing to be sorry for, Max." Pausing to look around, for her friend's sake, and still seeing no one, she asked, "Can I come in?"

Max bit her lip, her face lost in thought for a moment, but then she nodded firmly with eyes closed. Kate removed her hand, but Max just continued to look down, her thoughts distant. Kate waited a moment while her friend snapped out of her stupor.

"Oh. Sorry..." Max muttered.

Kate smiled warmly and softly said, "It's okay. Let's just get inside."

Max walked back in and Kate followed after retrieving the rabbit and card. She gently closed the door behind her and put the stuffed animal on a nearby side table. It was then she first took in the view of the room, which was not exactly what she was expecting.

Papers and photos were littered on the floor. A bulletin board held one crumpled, but straightened out polaroid photo. It was a blue butterfly on a bucket. Kate had no idea what it was all about, but it worried her. Max turned back around and saw it in her face before she could hide it.

"Oh...all this? Um, I..." Max trailed off and seemed like she was going to break down again. Kate's first instinct was to go to her friend, but she held back as she saw Max try to regain her composure.

The girl shut her eyes a moment and took a deep breath before continuing, "When my parents left I had to try..." She looked confused to Kate as she struggled for words. "Something, just one more time. But it's not working anymore and I...d-don't know why...I...I'm not making sense. I just can't explain it. Not now. I'm sorry, Kate." Max hung her head and shook it, holding herself tight.

Kate could not wait anymore and closed the gap between them, pulling her friend in for another hug. Max melted into her embrace. "Don't be sorry, Max. You don't need to explain anything to me. I'll still be right here. I just want you to be okay."

Max gave another sigh but said nothing.

After a moment of silence, Kate guided Max to sit on the bed and sat beside her. The blonde friend gently pried a hand loose from Max and held it in between both of her own. Kate could tell that she was giving some comfort to her friend from the slight glimmer of something in Max's eyes when she looked up at her. Whether it was hope, relief, or something else, Kate did not know, but she smiled seeing the change. The blonde absently rubbed her thumb over Max's hand as she began speaking again, "I know we've missed at least one tea date, but we can pick up whenever you're ready, of course."

Max seemed to freeze up right before Kate spoke and did not respond immediately. Her head turned away as if she was hiding her face, but then spoke quickly and said, "Yeah. I do owe you one. Maybe soon. I want to, I just..."

Kate squeezed her hand as she said, "Of course, when you're ready."

Max sheepishly looked back to her friend and said, "Thank you, Kate." Her gaze suddenly locked on something across the room. Kate looked back and said cheerfully, "Oh, yeah. Let me get that for you." She bounced lightly off the bed and carefully retrieved the gift. Kate presented the bunny and its card to Max. "It's just a little something."

Her friend smiled faintly, a moment of happiness pierced through her dark state.

Kate continued, "I always have Alice to get through my tough times, so I thought you should have your own Alice." She placed the gift into her friend's hands.

"Oh Kate..." A pause and another brief smile. "You being here is enough, but thank you."

Kate scrunched her face and said, "Well, I guess you're right. I needed more than Alice in my darkest time. I needed you. Maybe this was a silly idea."

Max's face turned to concern. "No Kate, no. I love it. I'll think of you whenever I hold it. I probably should name it." She paused seeing Kate turn shy and a slight smile came on Max's face as she continued. "She'll be Kate. Or little Kate." Kate smiled back with a deeper reddening and said. "No Max, you don't have to do that..."

"Too late. She's little Kate now," Max said playfully with a subtle mischievous grin. Her cheerfulness was muted by an underlying weariness, but it was still something. Kate returned the smile warmly and meekly replied, "Okay, Max."

The conversation paused for a moment, enough for Max's smile to fade. She began looking out in the distance. The girl stared past Kate, past the room into some dark place, but she shook her head and looked back to the card, yet opened. Max plucked it off of the bunny, slipping the loose string that attached it away from the bunny's neck.

She read it to herself:"I will always be here for you, Max. If you need to talk, or anything at all, please let me know. -Love always, Kate"

This was followed by a cute cartoon illustration of a bunny with what appeared to be Max herself, holding it.

Seeing Max finish reading, Kate said, "I wasn't sure if I was going to have to leave it at the door. I'm glad I didn't need to." Kate sat back down on the bed.

"Me too," Max said warmly. "I'm really happy you're here, Kate. I think, right now, you're the only person I would want to see." She looked away from Kate, but leaned up against her. Kate put one arm around her friend.

"Oh Max, you're too sweet-" Kate began.

Max cut her off, "No, Kate. Besides being an amazing person and friend, you're probably the only other one who might understand...some of this. Victoria doesn't count. I can't talk to her."

Max turned to look at her friend. "There's so much more I want to tell you, but I just can't right now. You wouldn't believe me anyways."

"Max." Kate delicately scolded. "I trust you completely. I would believe you, whatever it is."

Max smiled briefly, but her eyes did not match.

"I know you would. I know you think you would," Max corrected. "But I wouldn't even believe myself...it's just...someday, I'll tell you. You deserve to know. I'm just not ready to talk."

"Okay, Max," Kate replied with a reassuring hand rubbing lightly up and down Max's arm.

Max looked away again and seemed to hold her breath. She quickly spoke, changing her tone to a forced confidence, "There's something I have to do though and I need your help."

"Anything, Max."

Max sat up straight and once again looked to Kate who returned her gaze. The brunette then put her hands on her knees while peering downward as she spoke. "I just need you to be there. Be with me when I talk to Joyce."

"Chloe's mom? Of course I'll be there, as long as you need me."

Max did not seem completely surprised by the reply, but Kate did feel a sense of relief come over her friend, seeing her friend slip into a more relaxed posture.

"Okay, can you come with me tomorrow morning around ten?"

"Sure. I'll come by your room then." Max nodded in response. After some silence, Kate continued, "Is there anything else you did want to talk about?"

Max's head dipped down lower and she sighed. In her breath, a weight that felt almost tangible to Kate. Slowly the broken girl began, "No, well...I dunno. Um...do...do you believe in fate at all? Probably not, I'd guess."

Kate smiled with a closed mouth and apologetic eyes. "I'm sorry, Max, no. I do believe in God's plan. That's a little bit like fate."

Max sighed. "I used to not believe in it. But now...I don't know." Her face began to look empty. "I fucking hate it." She frowned at her own word choice. "Sorry."

Kate did not know how to respond to her friend's vague statement. She felt the mood in the room darken and tried to change the topic.

"Hey Max, have you eaten yet?"

Her broken friend seemed to ponder the question before saying, "No. Um, not yet. Haven't felt very hungry lately."

Kate's smile wavered for a moment, but she replied, "I could pick you up something. You know, for later? Is there anything you'd like?" She knew her friend did not want to face the world right now.

Max quickly said, "No, that's okay Kate. Thank you, but...well...I guess I could use some coffee?"

Kate smiled a little brighter at the chance to do something for Max, but then she thought about how Max seemed in dire need of sleep and this would probably not help. After a moment of conflict, she decided fulfilling her friend's request was more important than what may be physically better for her.

"Sure, what would you like?"

Max replied, "An ice-um actually, just regular coffee with creamer is fine."

Kate felt she could almost read her friend's mind. Max was definitely about to order some sweet delicious latte or something similar, but it was as if she caught herself from almost having pleasure, like she didn't deserve it. It felt silly to be so certain about her assumption, but the rise and fall in Max's expression fit her theory. Kate just didn't know why her friend would feel that way. She would focus on getting the coffee, for now.

Kate put her hand over Max's and said, "I'll be right back."

Her friend turned her head away with a small smile and then looked back as she said, "Thank you." Then a thought came over her and she rushed to her desk. She pulled out a few dollar bills and held them out to Kate who shook a hand at the offering and said, "It's okay, my treat."

"No, no. It's okay, you don't need to."

"I know, Max. I want to."

"No, Kate. It's okay. I got this."

"Please don't worry about it, just-"

"Please just take the money!"

Max's face looked anguished and Kate shrunk back under the heated words.

Max slowly took in the shocked reaction from her friend and tried to back pedal.

"I'm sorry, Kate. Fuck, I mean...You going is generous enough. Please, just take the money?" She ended her last sentence as a desperate whispered plea.

"Okay, Max." Kate smiled compassionately before accepting the dollar bills.

"Thank you," Max breathed out. She sat back down on the bed, as if a great weight was now lifted from her.

"I'll be back soon."

"Thank you, Kate," she said once more.

The blonde smiled and took a step to reach Max and squeezed her hand before walking to the door. As she closed it, Kate peered through the narrowing doorway and noticed Max lay down on the bed. The stuffed rabbit, or "little Kate" was held close in Max's folded arm. Kate could only see an ear popped out. Smiling, she made a mental note to come back quietly in case her exhausted friend fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Kate stopped by the Hot Spot, the nearest place she could find and ordered the coffee for Max and a tea for herself. From what she heard, it was the most popular stop for Blackwell students. She preferred her tea at a more modest cafe a little farther away when she planned on staying. This would work for today.

As she waited, Kate noticed Victoria and the usual groupies, Courtney and Taylor, right across from her at a table. They were chatting away, sipping at their coffee. She turned from their direction, hoping not to be noticed. Kate felt she had to stay close to the counter so she could grab their drinks as soon as they were ready so the barista wouldn't shout out her name too loud or too many times and grab their attention. While she waited anxiously to be called, Kate could not help but hear the girls' conversation at her short distance from them.

Taylor spoke next, "Oh my god, I know right? She is snapping over anything. That poor weirdo hipster. I saw her drop an entire tray of food when she saw the new art display in the cafeteria."

"I don't think I saw her come out after that. Probably was grabbing all that food to hibernate. There was so much," Courtney added almost chuckling.

Kate's blood began to boil. Her hands became fists and she felt a fury, she didn't even know she could possess, begin to replace her usual sense of control. She was never this upset for herself, but for Max, she felt an instant need to act, to protect.

Taylor asked, "What was that new painting anyways? I forget."

Victoria seemed distracted even as she replied, "Something blue. The sky, maybe."

"So weird," Courtney added.

Kate looked back to the table, not sure what she was about to do, but was compelled to do something. Victoria noticed the movement and turned her attention that way. With obvious alarm, she saw Kate. They locked eyes for a moment which distracted Kate from her anger, before Chase snapped her head back. She then focused on her friends as she took charge of the conversation.

"Let's talk about something else. Actually, you two meet me in my room. I need to do something. I'll be right there," Victoria quickly inserted.

"What do you need to do?" Courtney questioned, giving her an odd look for the swift and vague conversation shift.

Victoria simply replied with a dark stare. Courtney tried for a moment to stand her ground, but quickly rolled her eyes and said, "Fine, we're going. Just hurry up."

Taylor silently followed Courtney out of the cafe. They looked back once with a flash of bewilderment as Courtney spoke something quietly to the other. Victoria paused a moment, watching the exit after they left, and then looked straight back to Kate. The blonde whipped her head back immediately and heard her name called at the same time. She gratefully got up and zipped over to the counter to grab her drinks. When she turned around, Victoria was right in front of her.

"Kate, um...hi," Victoria said neutrally with a barely noticeable twitch in her face.

"Oh, hi Victoria." Kate waited, warily for the other to continue.

"I...I was a total bitch to you. You never deserved any of it. I'm...I'm so sorry. I really am. It's okay if you..."

Kate took in a deep breath and sighed out her held in aggression while Victoria spoke. She interrupted during the taller girl's last hesitation in her speech to say evenly, "I forgive you."

Victoria seemed surprised how quickly Kate came to that response and while the rest of her face remained composed, her eyes did not hide it.

"Th-thank you, Kate." Her lip scrunched as she continued, "You're a better person than me." She frowned and then said more quietly, almost to herself, "I already knew that though."

Kate shook her head. "You're as good of a person as you _choose_ to be...and I mean that in a good way."

Victoria looked downward. "Sometimes things get complicated," she mumbled.

"What was that?"

Victoria let out a frustrated sigh and looked back up. "You talk to Max, right?"

Kate responded hesitantly, "Yes..."

"Can you tell her something for me?"

"Sure..."

"Tell her...I'm sorry. Tell her, thank you. Tell her..._fuck_. Tell Max I owe her my life. I just feel like the last person she wants to see right now. Maybe you too...but here you are so who am I to argue with fucking _fate_?"

Kate blinked at the pair of F words, first staring blankly, but then responded, "Sure. I can do that."

Victoria forced a smiled and gave an apologetic look. "Thanks, Kate." Her mood fluidly changed in an instant. "My therapist thought resolving these issues should help, so um, yeah," Victoria said as if to explain away her motives. She returned to some sincerity before she left with her final words, "So, if you need anything, just, well...just let me know." Victoria spoke in a neutral tone, but the blonde knew she meant it. Chase was about to turn away, but Kate grabbed her shoulder. Victoria looked at her a little in surprise at the unexpected touch as Kate said, "You too." Victoria then dropped her shocked expression and struggled to fight back either a smile or frown to keep her indifferent demeanor. She gave an almost imperceptible nod and with that, she was gone.

Kate never thought she would see the day, but here was Victoria showing she did in fact have a soul. A delayed smile crept up on her face, then she remembered the drinks in her hands and swiftly made for the exit.


	3. Chapter 3

When Kate got back, she remembered to enter quietly, in case Max did indeed fall asleep. As she held the drinks awkwardly in one hand and arm, the other opened the door to the sound of Max talking. Kate was immediately concerned with the frantic tone, and realized what was happening when she looked inside. Max was asleep, but her head turned back and forth while she slurred, "No...stop...Chloe...no! Please, please...not again...don't take her...one more rewind...all I need...one more...please...oh god..."

Kate felt helpless and a little horrified. Fresh blood was streaked below Max's nose, over the crusted remnants of before. She nearly dropped the drinks as she put them down and rushed to the bed. Kate held her friend while shouting in concern, "Max!? Max!? Wake up! Max!"

Max screamed and her eyes shot open and darted around. She sat up with a confused and startled expression. "Kate?"

Kate held her friend close. "Yes, I'm right here."

Max's face contorted into anguish and she sobbed into the blonde's shoulder, holding her tight with one arm, while the other clutched to herself closely. She cried a lot longer than Kate expected. After she was sure the tears had stopped, Kate pulled back just enough to check if the blood had stopped too. She was also about to speak, but then realized her friend had fallen asleep. Kate let Max ease back into her embrace again. She felt compelled to let the poor thing sleep, so the blonde slowly brought her friend down to rest on the bed on their sides. Kate was about to slip out of their hold when Max started whimpering and squirming. The slightly older girl automatically smoothed back the sleeping girl's hair and said, "Shh, shh, Max. You're okay. You're okay."

Max's body rapidly relaxed and her movements and murmurs soon ceased completely. Kate felt that if she left, Max would go through the same nightmare trauma again. She would need to stay so her friend could sleep peacefully. In truth, while acting partly out of duty, it felt good holding Max, keeping her safe. It was not comfortable enough to stay this way though, with her arm under Max. Kate turned her friend to lay on her back and drapped half over Max. Kate stared at the younger girl's now serene face. The blonde was lost in many thoughts and was not was not tired enough to fall asleep quite yet. Max was obviously reliving the horror of witnessing her friend get muderered. She talked about rewinding. As in, going back in time to stop her death? _Everything is possible in dreams_, she thought. Your mind does not always give you what you want though.

Kate knew she could not always be here to comfort Max, but she also knew that if she ever witnessed her friend in distress like this again, she would always hold her as long as Max needed. She could not help it. Kate's heart compelled her. She eased her head onto Max's shoulder. Looking across Max's body, she noticed a long fuzzy ear still popping out under Max's arm that she had held closely to herself the whole time. Her friend managed to keep little Kate close. Max is tenacious, even in her restless slumber, thought Kate.

After hours of drifting thoughts, and her friend's peaceful rest assured, Kate also felt sleep take her.

When she woke, she propped herself up a little on her elbow, lifting her head up and looked down to Max staring up. She smiled back at Max's sweet gaze on her. Max softly said, "You're a good friend, Kate."

Kate realized she was still draped over her friend, but did not feel compelled to move. She yawned and said, "You'd do the same for me."

"I would," Max admitted.

Kate hesistated to speak her next thought, but then said, "Is this why you're avoiding sleep? The nightmares?"

Max just nodded guiltily.

"And does that always happen with your nose?"

Max looked puzzled at first, but then felt below her nose as the realization hit her. When her finger came back with fresh flakes of blood she said, "Fuck, not again. I didn't even mean to-" and stopped herself as she sat up while looking worriedly back to Kate.

"It's okay, you can swear around me," The blonde said, not knowing Max's deeper worry. She also sat up and continued, "If anyone deserves to, it's you. I'm so sorry, Max. You don't deserve to be going through any of this. To _keep_ going through this." She put a hand on her friend's own blood-free one.

Max's lip trembled, but she held herself mostly together as she replied, "That's one of the reasons I need to see Joyce. Maybe talking to her will give me more...closure? Or something, I don't know. I'm so selfish, Joyce needs more comfort than me." Max was frowning.

"Don't think like that. You would be comforting each other."

"I guess..."

"Of course you would. I know she'll be so glad to see you."

"Maybe."

"She will, I know it," Kate said with continued reassurance.

Max's face looked doubtful, but she said nothing else.

"Oh!" Kate said in sudden realization. "I almost forgot. I ran into Victoria when I got our drinks."

"Yeah?" Max said with apprehension.

Kate decided to leave out what Courtney and Taylor were saying about her. That would only hurt her. "No, it was good. Well, sort of. She wanted me to tell you sorry...and thanks...and that she owes you her life?" Kate seemed uncertain of her memory since saying it outloud sounded unbelievable even to herself.

"Wow. She said that?"

Kate nodded. "Yeah, she did. She even apologized to me."

"Good," Max said with a sudden sharpness that soon subsided. "That's the least that..." She changed her wording mid-sentence. "...that's the least she can do."

"She thinks you don't want to see her."

"She's right, I don't. It's exhausting just thinking about that conversation."

"It's nice though, right? What she said?"

"You think she meant it?"

"I do. I really do."

Max pondered this. "Well...maybe someday I'll talk to her. Not today. Actually..." Max pulled out her phone and checked the time. "11:56, are you cereal? Today's almost done."

"Hmm, yeah, almost midnight. Time to head to bed, ha. I know, might be hard to now but we didn't get a full night's sleep, so we should really try still."

Kate pondered asking to stay and sleep in the same bed to make sure Max would be okay, but was not sure if that would be too weird or not. She just hoped that a new chance for sleep would go better for her friend.

Max sighed, "Yeah, I guess you're right. Not sure if it will happen."

"You'll try, at least?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Okay, well...I will head back then, but call or text me at anytime. I will be here."

"Thanks, Kate."

"I mean it. Don't you dare worry about waking me."

"I promise." Max gave a slight smile at her friend's caring persistence.

Kate turned in the bed to give Max a firm, but gentle hug and whispered in her ear, "I'm always here for you. Don't forget it." As she got up, she put her hands on Max's shoulders and said in a playful scolding tone, "Now go sleep."

It came off very cute, as always whenever Kate tried to act tough, but Max scrunched her face and looked down.

Kate sighed. "You already said you'd try. For me?"

Her friend guiltily turned back to look at Kate, but she relented and said, "Okay."

Kate smiled and then walked to the door. As she closed it she said through the opening, "Goodnight, Max."

At the same time, just before the door closed shut, Max said in a barely audible whimper that even she was not sure was meant to be heard, "Please stay."

Kate paused just outside the room before leaving, but was not certain why. She frowned and put a lingering hand on the door before walking away.


	4. Chapter 4

Later in the morning, after the sun had been up for a while, Max woke gasping. She never remembered all of it, but the partially exploded head of Jefferson grinning darkly at her was almost always what spurred her back to consciousness. She was glad he was dead, but the grizzly memory of his death was haunting her along with everything else.

After realizing she was safe, Max came back to reality in the same haze as she had every day since that horrible night: forgetting for a moment and then having the sudden realization that Chloe was gone and gone forever this time. It was always a shock. Then the intense weight of her despair came crushing down, along with the guilt. Would it always be like this? She wondered, then reminded herself that she deserved it. Did not deserve to be happy. Would not be fair to Chloe. Nothing felt fair, or right anymore.

_You didn't save her and you could have, if you didn't keep fucking it up, but you did and now she's gone. Who cares that the storm didn't come? Even if I had to defy fate and risk killing the whole town, I would have...it doesn't matter now though. But now what?_

Max felt she had lost her direction, her purpose. Jefferson ruined photography for her. The future had become not worth a thought. Why do anything beyond what absolutely needs to be done now? What is there to look forward to? Her thoughts turned to Kate.

_I don't deserve her comfort, but every time she's near...I just can't help it._

Max looked over to little Kate, next to her in bed. She picked it up and looked at it thoughtfully. She then brought it to her cheek and nuzzled it between her shoulder. Just then a knock came and Max nearly dropped the bunny, but, after a brief fumble, found a firm grip and held it close. She held her breath and waited, until Kate's muffled voice called her name.

"Max?"

With a groan, she forced herself to sit up and slide out of bed. Max did a quick stretch, arching her back and made a step toward the door, but then turned back to quickly place the bunny next to her pillow. As she turned back, Max heard another knock and so replied, "Coming!"

She opened the door and found Kate there with coffee and tea in hand.

"You really are the best, aren't you?" Max grinned sleepily.

Kate's own smile beemed a little brighter at the compliment.

"When I'm inspired." She walked in when Max stepped to the side.

"Not quite ready?"

Max looked down at her own clothing, the same she wore the day before. She hadn't bothered changing.

"Yeah...don't think I'll do the walk of shame when I don't even have anything to be ashamed about," Max joked, but then frowned.

Kate, seeing her friend turn to a dark place, tried moving the conversation along.

"How about we just finish our drinks here and you can change and shower if you want."

_Shower?_ thought Max._ I guess it has been a few days. I probably should._ She combed her fingers through her greasy hair. _Yeah, definitely_.

They settled on the floor leaning against the bed. Kate sat with her legs criss-crossed, but still with an upright posture that gave off her usual mild air of refinement. Max was slightly slumped to the side, facing her friend who asked, "So, how did you sleep this time?"

Max took a sip of her coffee and lied, "Okay, I guess."

Kate bit her lip anxiously. "Max, I heard someone talking in the hall about hearing you in your room, and they were talking about this morning, not when I came back last night."

"Okay, I never sleep well anymore," Max confessed. She hung her head. "Well, except the first sleep last night with you."

Kate's eyes took on a pained look. "I should have stayed, I'm so sorry, Max."

"No, no. I wasn't blaming you. This is just...it's just my life now."

Kate seemed a little upset over her response, but took a deep breath and moved on. "How are you feeling-um, about today, I mean?" Kate asked.

"I don't know. Nervous? But I need to do this. Not knowing what Joyce will say...makes me feel like my anxiety has anxiety."

"She might talk about the trial. That will be fine though, right? Oh Max, I wish I could understand what you are so afraid of."

Max gave no answer. She just sighed and took a deep sip of her coffee.

"How about this. I pretend to be Joyce and you practice what you will say. That might taken some of that tension away."

"Thanks, but I don't know if I can do that. I...I rather say what I need to say only once, if that makes sense?"

Kate nodded in resignation. She sipped her tea and looked outward in thought. Her eyes widened a moment and she hurriedly put her cup down and said, "I have a silly idea, but you need to shower first. Just humor me please?"

"O...kay...," Max said slowly with hesitation and got up with a smirk. She got her shower toiletries and towel together while Kate sipped her tea.

"Be back soon," Max said before slipping out. She wondered if her blonde friend had a real idea, or was just trying to use this mystery to distract her from worrying about interacting with other students when she would leave her room. Kate would never lie though, so it had to be something.

Max managed to get to the showers without incident and was relieved to see no one inside. At this hour it was unlikely, but still very possible. Knowing this, Max worked as efficiently as she could to get cleaned and was soon walking back to her room in a towel with her belongings in hand.

She entered and Kate had a surprised look for a moment and then turned away. Max knew Kate's modesty made her shy in moments like this, but it was too fun of a distraction from her own dark thoughts not to fluster her some more. Max was almost as timid as Kate, but she felt inspired to be bold around her somewhat more reserved friend.

Max sat down right next to Kate, who seemed to turn a shade of pink, but did not move. Max dumped her belongings on her bed behind herself.

"Okay. I showered. Now what?"

"Well, next you put your clothes on," Kate joked with a nervous laugh.

"I mean, what is it I needed to shower for? I'm ready, let's just do it."

Kate somehow turned a darker shade and coughed before saying, "Hold on."

She got up and went to Max's desk and opened a drawer. She paused and let out a long breath she must have been holding. Afterwards, with just a moment of searching, Kate came back with a pen and knelt next to Max.

"Hand, please."

"What are you going to do?" Max asked as she complied with her left hand.

Kate held her friend's wrist delicately and then looked into her eyes as she said, "Just trust me. If you hate it, I'll take it off."

"Kay..." Max said with a subdued murmur.

Kate beemed back a satisfied grin and began to work on Max's hand. There was something intimate about writing on someone else. It was the touching, the closeness, the trust. If she couldn't trust what Kate would write or draw, she couldn't trust anyone. Max was curious what would appear on her hand soon. She pushed away other thoughts that started popping up along with her goosebumps.

Kate finished up with one last detail that Max felt in the center of her hand, and then her friend let go as she proudly said, "Done."

Max looked in her palm and saw a stylized button, the kind you would push, ringed with little animal smilies. In the center a dot, no...it was so small, but it was a heart.

"It's an emergency button. If you need me, just push it and I will be right there right away."

"Oh really?" Max said skeptically.

"Well, I'll need to stay close, but it will definitely work."

"I believe it." Max smiled. She then got up to go to her closet, just to see what Kate would do. Her blonde friend got up immediately in a flustered state and said awkwardly, "Oh, um yeah...I'll let you change." With that, she left the room, almost slamming the door behind herself.

Max didn't even have time to ask her just to turn around. She was not sure she would have the nerve to say it anyways though. Once dressed, she opened the door to find Kate waiting nearby in the hall.

"Ready now?" she asked.

"Oh shoot, yeah, almost. Let me just grab something." Max darted back into the room. She went to her desk and took a piece of paper and folded it a few times before sticking it in her pocket. As she met Kate back at the door she said, "Let's do this."

They took the bus down to the Price household. As they sat side by side, Kate tried to start a conversation a couple times along the way, but took the cue from Max's curt and distant replies to leave conversation for later. Kate could not ignore her friend's tenseness though, and so put a hand over hers in the space between them. It felt cold under her own. She gave her friend a closed lip supportive smile and then looked away. Max stared at their hands for a second and then sighed as she leaned into a surprised Kate. She did not react, but for a moment Kate worried what others might think or assume. She quickly decided though, that her friend was more important than a stranger's opinions. The good feeling from comforting Max was still undeniable too. There was something more to it, but before Kate could fully question the source of this happiness, they reached their stop. She frowned subconsciously as Max sat up and she was forced to remove her hand, but still gave a supportive smile to Max as they stood and left the bus.

They walked down the sidewalk until reaching Joyce's house. In Max's head, she still said Chloe's house. It would always be Chloe's house.

Kate waited for her friend's cue. Max stood there with now glassy eyes, coming to grips with the fact that Chloe would not be in there, would never be in there again. She let out a long deep breath and found control once more. Feeling a different but familiar emotion return to her, Max murmured, "I'm so nervous," while still staring at the house. One hand held the other arm and she twisted back and forth in agitation.

"Do you think you will ever feel ready?" Kate asked sincerely.

Max stopped figiting and sighed. "No."

Kate took a couple steps past her friend toward the house, then turned around with a hand extended. She looked to Max with compassion.

Max's hand went straight to meet Kate's. She hardly gave it a thought when it came out in offering. She didn't move right away though, and Kate noticed the connection between them remained taut.

"It's going to be okay. I promise."

Max nodded and moved to walk beside her, still clutching her friend's hand and they continued walking, now side by side. Before she knew it, they were standing at the door. Kate looked to Max for permission, who nodded once before looking down. Her friend rang the door bell.


	5. Chapter 5

After a few moments of waiting, the door opened to reveal Joyce. Her surprise was replaced instantly with a smile when she recognized one of the two girls on her porch. Her pleasant demeanor couldn't hide her exhaustion.

"Oh, Max. I didn't know you were coming, I would have cleaned up. And you brought a friend."

"Hi Joyce. S-sorry I didn't call. Yeah, this is my friend, Kate. We go to school together."

"Hi, nice to meet you. I am so sorry for your loss," Kate usually would offer a handshake, but it seemed an inadequate gesture at this time. She wanted to give a hug, but held back for now, feeling a little like an intruding outsider.

"Thank you, darling. Any friend of Max is a friend of mine. Come on in you two."

"Thank you, Joyce," Max said and they followed the older woman inside. Once in, Kate waited politely at the door while Max started to wander slightly further in, following the pictures along the walls.

Joyce closed the door and smiled knowingly at Max.

"The photographer goes straight to the photos."

Max looked guiltily back to Joyce. "Oh, no, it's not-"

Joyce waved away Max's concerns and said, "I am just playing with you, Max. I know you are looking for my daughter in those pictures."

Max smiled shyly as a reply, glad Joyce understood. She settled on a picture of Chloe holding a science trophy. That's the Chloe Max had remembered. The smart dorky girl who had so much potential and possibilities. She met the new Chloe for a week but the old one was still in there. She would take any version of Chloe now to have her here, or even just to see one more time.

"She was so proud that day." Joyce said while leaning against the door, not needing to come close to know the photo. She had her phone out and seemed to be texting briefly before putting it away.

"I remember. We all were," Max said, turning back to her.

Joyce gave a sad smile and said, "Please have a seat girls."

After they both complied, Joyce asked, "Either of you thirsty?"

They both thanked her, but assured her they were fine for now. When Joyce double checked they did not need anything and was satisfied, she finally sat down herself.

Max took a deep breath and spoke, "So, I'm sorry if you um, don't want to talk about it, but how have you been holding up?"

Joyce looked off to nowhere for a moment before meeting Max's nervous gaze as she responded, "As well as can be expected, I suppose. Life has dealt me a poor hand. Feels like the worst, but it can always get worse. Still, for Chloe...she deserved better. She was too young. William, he was too young too, but my poor girl..."

Max could see tears forming in Joyce's distant eyes and her own started to water at the sight. Kate frowned and subtlety fidgeted on the couch. With a false start of hesitation, Max then moved to sit next to Joyce and took one of her hands in both of hers. She took a gulp before speaking. Her nervousness slipped quickly into a break down of emotions.

"I...I'm so sorry, Joyce. I should have saved her. I should have...done so many things different. I am so, _so_ sorry. I just miss her so much." She was crying as she spoke and ended with a sob while putting her head to Joyce's hand that she held.

Joyce looked over to Kate for a moment who saw the older woman's shock and concern. Kate returned a worried look of her own, but remained sitting across from them, letting Ms. Price take care of her friend for now. Joyce looked back down to Max and found the words to say after her initial surprise.

"Oh Max, It's not your fault. Please don't blame yourself." Max fought to control her cries with some success to be able to hear Joyce.

She continued, "I know you lost contact these years since you left, but you reconnected that last week. You really did care about her, didn't you?" Joyce stroked Max's hair with her free hand.

Max sniffled and whimpered out a reply as she looked up to Joyce with tears streaming down. "You ha-have no I-de-a." Max threw her hand over her mouth and turned red. She looked away, then put her head down.

Joyce said, "Oh..." and then the realization caught up with her and the older woman's eyes grew wide. Max looked back up for a moment and the growing fear on her face made Joyce more certain. "_Oh_..." she said again with more emphasis. "You were only a week back, but did you...oh my heavens...you loved her. Didn't you?" They both knew exactly what she meant by that word.

Max could not verbalize a response, but instead let her head fall back down with even greater sobs than before. Joyce returned her hand to Max's head to comfort her as she said, "Oh sweetie, I am so sorry."

Max felt even worse getting pity from Joyce who was the one that lost a daughter, but she had to explain herself while she had the courage. She looked back up pleadingly as she spoke.

"That's why I n-never called. It hurt t-too m-much. I was afraid...to tell her...the truth. How could it ever work, s-so far away? If she even...felt the same? I c-couldn't take it. But I should never have l-left her. I should have called or...anything. I..I was stupid...I'm so sorry. M-maybe if I..." sobbing "...then..."

"No, no. Do not blame yourself Max Caulfield. I know you never meant to hurt her and she made her own choices. So did that piece of shit Jefferson." Her voice ended with a barely contained fury that made Max tense up. Joyce noticed and sighed before saying, "I'm sorry, Max. It will be a while before I can be right with the lord and forgive that...excuse me, but son of a bitch, if ever. I just can't imagine it right now." Joyce continued stroking Max's hair which soothed her back down to a more relaxed state. The young girl took deep breaths which began to slow down.

"Oh Max, we are going to get through this somehow." She paused her hand movement, then returned to it as she spoke, "Maybe you could come by again sometime, if you feel like it."

Max tried to awkwardly nod, but cleared her throat and said, "Yeah, I...I'd like to."

Joyce smiled slightly. "I know you have at least one good friend here, who will be there for you, so that's good."

Max sat up and looked nervously back to Kate, as if just remembering she was here. Her friend smiled compassionately and nodded. She also had an unrecognizable expression, but Max knew kindness was at least part of it.

Joyce continued, "So, I have to ask...at the end, did she...also..."

Max froze and did not speak right away.

"I...well...we didn't know about Rachel yet until...the end of that week, but...there was something...I know I felt something..."

A tear fell off the older woman's face which bore a pained smile and Joyce wiped more away before saying, "That's good. I'm glad she...had someone then."

"She did," Max said.

"I'm going to hug you now, Max. You're still my other daughter." With that she wrapped her arms around the young girl who welcomed her embrace. It was firm and lingered for only a moment. Joyce still had a comforting hand on the girl's back that made a brief circular soothing motion before leaving contact. The older woman suddenly looked guilty before she continued speaking.

"Max. I wanted to tell you that I texted David to come over here. He wanted to talk to you."

The younger girl looked a little surprised and fearful.

"Oh? Wh-why does he want to talk?"

Joyce did not answer and in her hesitation, Max ventured an answer, "The trial? Is he worried about what I'll say?

"That might be part of it. Well, yes, I know it is part of it. There is something else though."

The trio of females turned at the same time toward the front of the house, hearing a vehicle grow close and swiftly turn off.

"That will be him," Joyce said getting up and gently letting Max sit up. There was a slam of a car door. The older woman opened the door to the house and looked back to a nervous Max. "It will be okay, Max. Please just stay and hear him out. He wouldn't tell me what it was, but it sounded important. I know you've had your issues with him, but he is a good man."

Max sat on the edge of the couch, seeming ready to take off, but she remained seated. The nervous girl did not reply to Joyce. A few seconds passed and heavy footsteps were then followed by David who gave Joyce a kiss of greeting before stepping in. He looked first to Max and then to Kate, but returned to the former.

"Hi there, Max. How are you holding up?"

Max mumbled, "Okay, I guess." She was getting used to lying.

David continues, "That's good to hear...I have been wanting to talk to you. I'm sure Joyce told you. Can we talk in the kitchen, or somewhere else more privately?"

David's voice seemed kinder than Max remembered. He was not ordering her. This gave Max a little courage so she said, "No, I'd like to stay here and they can hear whatever it is you have to say. Um, if that's okay." She ended in a softer tone, remembering the man did save her life. Being near him did not make her feel safe now though.

David was a little taken aback, but passively replied, "That's...that's fine. I'm sure this is a friend you trust?"

"Completely," Max said still stating straight at him, afraid to turn to Kate and what expression she might find.

David exchanged a look with Joyce and then moved to the center of the room.

He spoke slowly at first. "I...wanted to talk about a couple things. First...the trial, if there is a trial. I am so sorry to have to ask you, but...what have you told them, what will you tell them if they call you up?"

Max scrunched her lip and sighed.

"I told them the truth...the truth they wanted to hear. You saved my life and I'm not stupid. I told them how you fought with Jefferson and...after he was knocked down, you had to shoot him or he would have shot you."

"Thank you, Max. I do not deserve your help. That's the other thing. I know I...did what I did right in front of you. You should never have seen that. Please forgive me. I know what you might be going through. I have seen horrible things too. I should have never let you seen that. I know better. I know what it can do to a person. I know what it did to me."

David frowned and continued, "If you ever need any help with it, I can be there for you. I can connect you with people or resources. It's the least I can do."

With all this talk, Max felt herself returning to that dark day. Her hands started shaking. When she started seeing Jefferson's bloody disfigured face, Max knew she had to leave, had to get away.

"D-David. You saved me. I owe you my life. There were worse things that happened that day." Max got up and started walking to the door.

She continued. "I...I just can't talk about this right now. I'll let you know if I need anything," Max lied.

"Max, wait. You have to stay. Damn it, I mean, please don't go," David pleaded, hand out, but he did not move toward her.

"Max..." Joyce called out, begging her in one word to stay.

"I'm sorry Joyce. I'll be back again, I promise. David, don't worry about the trial. I'll do my part."

By this time, Max was at the door and Kate had gotten up to follow. Max said, "Shit," under her breath and stepped swiftly back to Joyce and pulled out the paper she had brought from her room. She put it down on the coffee table and said, "That's for you Joyce," and walked back to the door with no other explanation.

Max was out first without another word, but her friend turned back in the doorway. Kate looked to the couple and said, "It was nice to meet you," before closing the door behind herself.

Max was stomping swiftly down the walkway and looked back fearfully. When Kate saw her face she said, "Wait, Max! Please slow down," as she struggled to keep up.

Max had an anxious look and Kate could see the turmoil in her movement as she tried to comply with the blonde's request over her own need to escape. Once the house was out of view, Max turned to a tree and seemed to be about to use it to steady herself, but instead stumbled down to a kneeling position, head down with one hand still on the tree, the other flat on the grass. Kate was right behind and crouched down to her.

"Max, are you okay?" The genuine concern was still not piercing through the trauma.

Max shook her head. "I still see him. That face. And every night, every fucking night, I wake up seeing him."

"I didn't know. I'm so sorry Max."

Max looked up to Kate who now had a gentle hand on her back. It was as if this was a signal for her to come closer. The broken girl turned and locked her arms around her friend. Kate felt Max shaking as she held her. After a few minutes, she was still.

"Kate?" She said softly.

"Yes, Max?"

"We're...still okay, right?

"Us? Okay? What do you mean?"

"It's not weird now? You're okay that I..."

Max was not finishing her sentence so Kate did for her.

"Like girls?"

Max blushed and bit her lip while nodding. "Y-yeah." She was suddenly very conscious of their closeness and pulled back enough to try and read Kate's face.

"I had no idea, but no, of course it doesn't change anything. You're my friend. I told you: I will always be here for you."

Kate brushed Max's hair to the side. The younger friend could not help but to close her eyes for a moment and give a contented sigh before saying, "Thank you, Kate."

"Of course." She smiled and after a few moments of staring into each other's eyes, Kate cleared her throat and said, "So...how about we get on the bus and get home?"

Max nodded. "Yeah, let's go." Kate helped Max to her feet and they started walking off. The blonde squeezed their hips together playfully. Max grinned shyly, seeing Kate smiling too. Kate slipped her hand to lightly rest on Max's shoulder the rest of the way.


	6. Chapter 6

The two girls made their way to the bus stop without much talk and waited for the next one to appear. Max first sat down, somewhat in the middle and was a little disappointed when Kate placed herself at the end of one side of the bench. The artist got out her sketch pad and was swiftly scribbling away, as if she had been waiting for the opportunity to get something down. Max glanced over, but could not see anything at the angle her friend held the pad. Every several seconds Kate paused, then returned pencil to paper. The bus arrived while Kate was still at work, and so Max stood a second at the door as her friend finally got up and followed her inside, each showing their passes before finding a seat in the back.

The bus was relatively empty. Max could not help smiling when her friend still sat right next to her. She looked out the window and then back to Kate who had brought out her sketch pad again. Now her friend turned towards her and cleared her throat before saying, "I have some questions for you, personal questions, if that's okay?"

"Umm, yeah. Sure," Max replied hesitantly, caught off guard.

Kate's warm smile put her more at ease until the first question came out.

"How long have you known you liked girls?"

Max's eyes grew and then darted around. Seeing no one she knew and that no one appeared to be listening, she then replied, "_Woah_, Kate. Is that what you were doing? Writing questions?"

Kate looked to her apprehensively.

"Well...yeah. Is that okay?"

Max thought a moment and realized that she did not mind telling her friend anything. She trusted Kate completely. This was just an unexpected interview.

"Yeah, it's, umm...fine. So...I'm not sure really. I thought I liked boys, but I never really dated any. Every time I had a chance I just...didn't feel like pursuing it, yah know?"

Kate just nodded and let her friend continue while writing something down.

"Are you...writing my answers?"

Kate looked guiltily back to Max.

"Yes? Is that weird? It's weird, isn't it? I just want to...understand you better. This just helps me more than trying to remember. Oh, and don't worry, I won't write your name in it."

"That's fine, but you're going to make me feel more important than I am with all this."

"Impossible," Kate said sweetly.

Max felt her cheeks redden, so she looked out the window as she continued to answer.

"So umm, yeah...girls though. I guess there were times I thought someone at school was really cool and I wanted to be with them all the time, but I don't know. Chloe was when I knew."

Max scrunched her lips in agitation. Guilt came creeping in at the mentioning of her late friend. She looked away as she waited for the next question.

After writing down her notes, Kate asked, "What about your parents? Do they know?"

Max looked at Kate like she was crazy to ask such a question. "_Wowzer_, no. I mean, I don't think they know. I never told them. I never told anyone. Until now."

"Hmm...so when will you tell your parents? Or are you going to tell them?"

Max looked to the side in thought and said, "Well, I guess I'll tell them when I have a reason to. Umm, you know...when I have a...someone."

"Makes sense," Kate replied continuing to jot down notes.

"I'm not sure I should ask my last question..."

"Go ahead, Kate. I don't mind."

"Well, it's about Chloe."

"Oh..." Max bit her lip. "Yeah, that's okay. What is it?"

"Well, what was it about her that made you like her?"

A pained look came and passed before Max replied. "I guess...I think of the Chloe I always knew. She was smart and kind...and dorky but the best kind of dork. A great friend. Better than I was...but she did change. She made life interesting for a while...but the old Chloe was still there. That's who I...who I loved."

Kate scooter over and placed a hand on Max's. Goosebumps formed along the younger girl's arm and she turned to the window again. She wondered if her friend's touch would ever stop having this effect on her. Max realized that she was being distracted from her guilt though, and felt conflicted.

"Thank you, Max, for sharing. I know it's hard. It's good though too, right?"

"That's what my therapist says."

"Mine too, though she is trying something new next time. I'm kind of nervous about it."

"Yeah?" Max turned back to Kate, glad for the change in topic.

"It's going to be a hypnotherapy session this time. You know, where they hypnotize you to try and get any repressed thoughts and memories out."

"So what about it worries you?"

"You know...it's just like...when I didn't know what I was doing at that party...not in control of myself."

Max understood instantly. "I'm sorry, Kate. That must be so hard for you to even think about. It must be worth it though if your therapist is suggesting it."

"That's what she says...I'm going to try it, but...I just don't like it."

Max turned her hand so that she was now holding Kate's and gave it a light squeeze.

"I'm not sure this helps, but I promise you'll be okay."

"Thanks, Max. It's nice to hear, even if I'm still nervous."

"I'll just keep telling you that until you believe it then. Actually, hold on."

Max dug in her bag and brought out her camera. She still brought it with her out of habit, even though she couldn't imagine using it again, until right now. She still hesistated when she took it out. There was a momentary struggle to drown out the images from her nightmares, but her inner voice came through and shouted for her do it for Kate.

Max blinked and then looked back to her friend.

"Hey, let's do a pinky promise. The one where you kiss your own hand. I'll take a picture and you can look at it whenever you get worried about it."

"Aww, Max...you don't need to do that. I know you haven't been in the mood for...photos lately, so it's okay..."

"No, Kate...I want to."

"If you're sure."

"The surest."

"Let's do it then."

They both stuck out their pinkies and hooked them around each other. As they went to kiss their own hands, Max extended her other hand out with her camera faced towards them. As soon as their lips touched partial fists, Max took the picture. It popped out and Max pulled it free, giving it a shake.

The picture quickly appeared and they were framed perfectly. Max handed it over to her friend.

"It turned out great!" Kate said gleefully.

"I _have_ had a lot of practice with selfies."

"You're an expert in my book. This looks so good."

"It's not just me. You definitely improve my selfies."

Kate smiled shyly in response.

"Well thank you...for this." After one last look, she slipped the photo under the cover of her sketchpad.

"Of course."

Kate took in a deep breath, then spoke. "You know...I did already talk to you in the hospital, but I wanted to thank you again for saving me that day."

"Of course, Kate. I wouldn't ever let anything happen to you. As long as I could help it..." Max added, thinking of Chloe with a touch of melancholy.

Kate did not notice as she continued. "Yes, but I want you to know that I have been loving all the time we've been spending together, and _not_ just because you saved me. I feel closer to you than I do with anyone. Um, don't tell my sisters that," she added half jokingly.

Max smiled, but it wasn't for Kate's jest, but the gleefulness she felt from her friend's previous words of earnestness. It gave her so much joy that she had to consciously tone her reaction down.

"I feel the same, Kate. Completely," Max said with obvious sincerity. She regretted the added word, thinking she went too far, but Kate simply smiled sweetly at her and squeezed her hand. She began to pull it back, but Max had not let go.

Max mumbled, "Oh, sorry," and released her friend's hand.

Kate lifted her hand up, pausing a moment before putting it back down on Max's.

"It's okay. I think your hand needs a friend too right now."

Max giggled and said, "Yeah...probably. And warmth. They're always cold now."

"I guess I'll have to keep them warm."

"Kay..." Max said shyly.

_Was Kate flirting with me right now? Or is this what friends do? I keep thinking she's sending me signals, but maybe she's just being silly and sweet like Kate always is with me...still, why does it feel so different? No, she's a model Christian. She could never...I'm just reading too much into this. _

Riding in silence the rest of the way, they exchanged periodic smiles and Max kept fighting the urge to hope, for fear of being wrong and for not feeling deserving of it, if it were true. She settled on focusing on the feeling of Kate's hand on hers, allowing herself to enjoy the moment, whatever the truth may be.


	7. Chapter 7

They made it back to Blackwell and went straight to Max's room. Neither had to ask.

Max sat on her bed and her friend followed suit. The brunette lay curled up in a partial fetal position while Kate sat with crisscrossed legs. Looking down, she saw the younger girl seemed thoughtful, but worried.

Kate broke the silence. "I know this has been so hard for you, Max. Have you been doing anything for yourself to get through it? Besides talking to Joyce?" She reached out to touch Max, but her friend got up and slipped off the bed.

"I...I've been working on something," Max said hesitatingly. "But it's not really done."

"Oh? What is it?"

"Well...a song."

"Oh? I didn't know you wrote your own music," Kate said, perking up a little.

"I don't. So, it's not very good. But I wanted to do something for Chloe. Maybe myself really?" Max shrugged.

"Would you play it for me?"

"I don't know..."

"It would be good for you. I mean, at least I think it would. You don't have to, of course, but it might help."

"Some of it only makes sense to me though."

"That's okay. It's for you anyways, Max. That's all that matters."

"I guess...well, okay. This is what I have so far." She reached for her guitar.

Max sat on the floor with her instrument in her lap. After a couple quick restarts, she got into a melody and softly sang. The words came out in the pained tones she felt when writing them and tears built up.

_When I came so late, _  
_you_ _still_ _had room_

_When time was a place,  
I could come back to you_

_Now I'd trade the Bay  
just to see that blue_

_To hear you say  
what shit you'll do_

_Don't tell me  
what's meant to be_

_Just come back,_  
_please_ _come_ _back_  
_to_ _me_

_Just come back,_  
_please_ _come_ _back_  
_to_ _me_

_Come back now,_  
_all_ _our_ _debts_  
_are_ _paid_

_To hell with this town,  
let me trade the Bay..._

At what seemed halfway through there was cease in the strumming as Max put her hand to cover her face and the last words were a whispered cry.

"I'm sorry. It's...hard to get through sometimes," Max said quietly as she composed herself, ending with a sniffle.

Kate's lips were slightly parted, not able to hide how taken aback she was with Max's raw feelings expressed so passionately.

"That's okay Max. Wow though," She breathed after a moment. "That was so...heartfelt. She would have loved it."

"Yeah?" Max said with a strained voice, looking up to Kate. "I hope so."

"I know so. Who wouldn't? I know I would." Kate pursed her lips, strengthening her resolve before she continued, "You ever want to play, the both of us? If you're this beautiful alone, imagine us together. Um, playing music," she added, seeing her friend freeze up.

"Uh...yeah, maybe. I hear you practice and you're definitely in a whole different class than me."

"I don't know about that. It's worth seeing how we are together, though right?"

"Maybe...I'll let you know when I feel, um...up to it."

Max dipped her head down and tried to discreetly focus more on Kate's face, wondering if she was reading too deep into what she just said. Now Kate appeared to be in serious contemplation as she stared off. That could mean a lot of things, Max thought. Her own mind turned to guilt. Guilt at the feelings that were growing which felt so unfair to Chloe and still doubting there was anything except friendship being reciprocated with Kate. Her suspicions felt painfully obvious but at the same time she felt crazy for thinking it.

"So..." Max began, trying to pass through the awkward moment. "My parents are going to be back tomorrow."

"Yeah? Is that a good thing?"

"Not really. Not at all actually, Max amended. "They want me to go back home."

Kate tried hiding her concern, but her expression turned downcast.

"And what do _you_ want?"

"I want to stay here. But, I don't know...," Max trailed off.

"I know they probably just want to make sure you're okay. What are you going to do?"

"I don't know."

"We'll think of something."

"_We_?"

Kate smiled. "Of course. I'm not going to let them take my best friend without a fight. As long as you want to stay."

"I do," Max said uncertainly with a focused eye contact on her friend. They both looked away, not able to maintain the shared and weighted gaze.

"So, Max...I have some things I need to do, but I'll be back tonight, if that's okay?"

Max replied neutrally, "Of course. Do what you need to do."

"Great," Kate smiled hoping it would would be returned, but Max's demenour remained passive and hollow. She hopped off the bed and Max stood up as she came near, leaning the guitar against the wall. As soon as she did, Max turned back towards the bed and was in Kate's arms in a firm hug. Max sucked in her lips and her body stiffened. It was not the same as before when her touch froze her friend sometimes. It was as if the closeness was no longer welcome. Kate noticed, but did not react.

"I'll see you a little later?" Kate spoke with some hesitation as if asking a question. She expressed her concern about things being okay between them with just her tone. Something had changed after her friend played the song, she knew that much. Kate tried to read her, but Max looked down and whispered out, "'kay."

After a moment, Kate relented to Max holding back whatever was on her mind and said, "Text if you need me. Okay?"

Once Max nodded, she walked to her bed and let herself collapse into it. Kate started to leave, all the while worriedly looking at Max until she got to the door. She noted "little Kate" resting on a table on the other side of the room as she finally turned to walk down the dim and empty hall.


	8. Chapter 8

Max never texted. She looked at her phone several times and thought about messaging Kate, but stopped herself every time. In between her indecision Max vainly tried doing homework, but did not really accomplish much. She was constantly glancing at the door and having distracting thoughts. This was how most of her night went until it was just past 9:00 PM when there came a knock. When Kate's gentle voice identified herself, Max opened the door. The brunette paused a moment before addressing her friend when she saw the blonde holding a pillow and a blanket, along with a bag of various things. Kate was dressed in her pajamas, off-white pants with a pale blue trim and a plain white t-shirt.

"Did we...um, plan this?" Max asked in confusion.

"No, but this is the plan from now on until you don't need it," Kate said playfully.

"Umm, I don't know about this..."

Kate sighed in minor frustation before saying, "Tell me you don't want me here without lying and I'll go."

"I-" Max began and paused, looking off to the side.

"That's what I thought," Kate said cheerfully as she gently pushed her way in.

Max struggled for words for a moment as she closed the door behind them.

"Did you say this is the plan from now on?"

"Uh huh," Kate confirmed as she placed her belongings on Max's bed.

Max began to protest, "But..."

Kate had sat on the mattress and Max couldn't help but stare at her lithe form as her friend lay down, stretching her slender body before turning to look at her. Max forgot what she was going to say.

_I'm_ _too_ _weak_. _I_ _can_ _never_ _say_ _no_ _to_ _this_ _girl_.

"Um, never mind." Max sighed, "Okay."

"Glad you've accepted it. So...looks like you've been doing some school work?" Kate said, now sitting up again.

Max turned back to her open book and laptop, and the mess of snack wrappers surrounding it. As she picked them up to throw away she said, "Yeah...well, no. Not really. It's been hard focusing."

"Oh...did you want any help? Not sure I would be that useful, but I could try."

"You're sweet, but no...that's okay. Thanks though." Max returned from tossing the trash into a small bin and then came back to close the laptop and book.

"Hey, Maxine?"

Max gave Kate an odd look and then smirked before saying, "_Max_, never Maxine."

"I just wanted to try it out. Why don't you like your full name?"

"I don't know, just doesn't feel like me. Well, if you're calling me that, then I'll call you Katie. How do you like it now, _Katie_?" Max playfully added.

Kate smiled warmly. "Hmm, I actually do like that. But I think I'll keep calling you Max."

Max's good-natured bravado deflated under her bashfulness, hearing Kate's reply.

"Oh, okay then. I guess...you'll be, uh, Katie now," she said, stumbling a little over her words.

"Just for you though."

Max's heart skipped a beat. She gave a nervous smile and searched for something to do instead of just standing there and showing how flustered she felt.

_God_, _help_ _me_.

She took a few faltering steps before going back to her book and laptop. Now with a purpose, she calmed down and took them to their proper places. Book in her bag and computer to her desk. The brunette glanced over to Kate who appeared to have been watching her the whole time.

Max coughed to hide her slight startle. "So..." she began awkwardly. "I guess you're all ready for bed? It's kind of early. Well, for me."

Kate giggled lightly. "Me too. Actually, I thought we could watch a movie."

"Oh? Sure...what movie?"

"Anything you like. Your choice."

"Well then...I guess I'll have to figure that out" Max stepped to her small collection stashed on the other side of the room.

_I_ _know_ _what_ _movie_ _we_ _are_ _definitely_ _not_ _watching._

She touched Blade Runner, which she had bought recently. She did not know why though. She would never watch it. It wasn't Chloe's copy anyways. She shook off the memories the movie started to bring up and continued searching.

_Hmm_, _Gattaca_.

Still Sci-fi, but not quite the action flick. More Kate's speed, Max guessed.

"How about this one?" She held up the movie and said, "Ever seen Gattaca?"

"No. I'll give it a try. You must like it?"

"I actually don't remember a lot about it. I know it's something about the future where people some people are genetically engineered to be the best, but someone who isn't takes the identity of another who is, sorry that could've been worded better...but, that's most of what I remember."

Kate, easy going as ever, said, "Sounds good to me, let's watch."

Max nodded and opened the case as she walked to her laptop. Once she inserted the disc, Max skipped the previews to get to the main menu. Now ready to start, she went over to the bed. Kate had lay down on her stomach, off on one side, so Max placed herself beside her friend, both facing outward with the computer in the middle at the end of the bed.

"Is this good?" Max asked.

"I think I need to adjust a little." Kate scooted more towards the middle until their sides touched. "That's better."

Max almost moved away, but stayed still, letting their hips connect and legs press together. Kate lifted that leg and let it fall back down so it partly draped over Max's. For what felt like the longest moment, the brunette held her breath. She was glad the lights were already dim, because she was sure her blushing face would have been painfully obvious. Max slowly exhaled as she reached over to start the movie. Nothing was said for a while after that and Max again wondered if she was reading too much into everything. Now and then during the movie though, Kate's leg moved in a stroking motion across Max's own and when their feet touched, the brunette thought her heart was going to explode. Kate did not appear to know she was doing it. Max gave her a sidelong look and Kate was still staring straight at the screen.

_She's_ _just_ _one_ _of_ _those_ _touchy_ _friends_. _That's_ _all_..._I_ _never_ _see_ _her_ _that_ _way_ _with_ _anyone_ _else_ _though_..._maybe_ _just_ _her_ _closest_ _friends_? _I_ _just_ _don't_ _know_...

Max got through most of the movie without incident until they reached the climax. At this point, one of the main characters, having finished helping the other protagonists, then incinerated himself, not wanting to live anymore with his disabling injury.

Max had a panicked look on her face and turned to Kate after pausing the movie. "Oh my God, I am so sorry! I completely forgot about the ending. I'm _so_ sorry." without thinking she held Kate's face tenderly in her hands. Her friend stared back at her and confusion and then the realization hit her. Kate's hands moved to grasp Max's arms, but the blonde did not pull them away. Max could feel her friend take a firm but gentle hold on her as she said reassuringly, "Oh Max, it's okay, really. It doesn't bother me at all," Kate said in an almost subdued tone.

In her panic, Max did not notice how much Kate's attention was distracted from her words by the touching of her face and their closeness.

"Are you sure? Max's worried gaze faltered, but remained locked on her friend.

"Yes, it's not even the same. It's...really fine, um Max. Please uh, don't worry. I promise."

Kate was having a hard time finding the words, but Max still did not realize it. The brunette let out a big sigh as she released her gentle hold and flopped backwards on the bed.

"A Kate Marsh promise is as good as gold," Max said still laying back, but with her head turned towards Kate.

"That's Katie to you. Remember?"

"Oh yeah..." Max smiled bashfully closing her eyes and turning her head toward the ceiling. She then kept her head still but turned her eyes toward her friend as she spoke, "Katie...did you want to finish the movie still?" Max asked timidly as she tried out her friend's new name and felt the intimacy it broadcast as she spoke it.

"Of course," she said and pulled Max up to a sitting position. They both returned to laying on their stomachs and Max pressed play. They naturally ended up pressed closely together again. Max smiled inwardly as she felt Kate return her leg to lay on her own.

The movie ended a few minutes later. Right after, Max closed the laptop asked, "So, what did you think?"

Kate propped herself up on an elbow and said, "Actually, could we do something while we talk about it? You ever play with your friend's hair? I haven't done that in so long."

"I might have done it before," Max mumbled.

"Well, I love it. It just feels so good. Let's take turns, of course. Mind if I go first?"

"Sure...I mean no, I don't mind."

Max watched as Kate undid her clips and let her golden locks fall around to frame her face.

She never spoke the word about someone outloud, because it sounded too ridiculous, but all she could think was ..._she's_ _a_ _goddess_...

Max pushed herself to put away the laptop to get out of her stupor. When she came back, Kate was sitting crisscrossed and facing forward towards her on the floor in front of the bed, waiting for her. She gave Max a small smile before the brunette placed herself between her friend and the bed. Max lifted her hands to comb through Kate's long and luxurious hair, but paused.

..._just_ _friends_..._friends_ _do_ _this_..._she_ _said_ _so_ _herself_...

Max began and almost cried out in surprise when Kate softly moaned the moment her fingernails grazed the back of blonde's head. She forced herself to not physically react. If Kate kept making those sounds though, Max was pretty sure someone would have to pry her hands off the blonde's head before she stopped.

"So..." Kate began. "What did I think?" She pondered. "I liked it. Very tragic though."

"Yeah..."

"But I like some sad movies. As long as they're good. It's nice when they give you something to think about."

"Did this one...do that?"

"Yes, definitely. Crazy to think how regular people could be discriminated against like that, you know?"

"Those not genetically modified?"

"Yeah. Can't imagine not being allowed to do things based on who I am. I guess neither could...Jerome?" Kate said, citing the main character who took his own life at the end. "He wasn't able to be the person he was meant to be."

Suddenly, Max was not sure they were talking about the movie anymore.

"And...what would _you_ do?" Max hesitantly ventured.

Kate paused with a sigh. She then spoke in a seriousness beyond the scope of film discussion, "Whatever it cost, I would find a way."

Max froze under the weight of her friend's words. Catching herself, she resumed putting her fingers through Kate's hair. Her touch became more focused in those moments, as if trying to respond to her friend in some form. There was a small period of silence and then lighter talk of the movie resumed.

At one point later, Kate asked, "Ready for your turn?"

"I'm already turned around," Max joked. She leaned her head against the side of the mattress.

Kate turned around and began. She felt Max first tense up, but then quickly melt under her finger tips. Kate gave a quiet sigh of relief. Max did freeze up again though when Kate started combing her fingers past the brunette's hair and down her back. As before though, after the first moment, she again visibly relaxed and now periodically hummed sounds of contentment.

They had not resumed talking yet, so Kate spoke out quietly, breaking the silence and said, "Max? I need to say something..." She paused and said, "I-" then had a realization. "Max?" Nothing. "_Max_?"

Leaning over to see her friend's face, Kate was first disappointed but then felt great relief seeing Max had fallen asleep. She knew it by the rise and fall of her chest, the way she breathed. Kate couldn't help but think how cute her friend looked with her mouth slightly open. "You're adorable," Kate whispered to herself.

She thought of lifting the brunette up to put her in bed, but shook away that fantasy when imagining how, even if she could manage to get her friend up there, it would probably end up waking her.

Instead, Kate retrieved a pillow and strategically placed it on the floor. After turning off the lights, she returned to gently eased Max down onto it. Her friend stayed asleep, but as soon as she was laying down, Max fidgeted and squirmed in agitation. She had a distressed look as her head turned back and forth. Kate quickly pulled Max's blanket down on her, but it had no effect. Lifting up one side, the blonde slipped in behind her friend and put one arm around her, holding her firmly as the other stroked her hair and whispered in Max's ear, "Shh, it's okay, Max. I'm here. You're safe with me..."

Max let out long breath through her nose and was finally still. Kate felt her friend's body relax in her hold and knew she was going to be okay now. The arm not around Max felt awkward and uncomfortable, but it was all worth it to Kate.

"We'll get better at this," she whispered. Kate looked out across the room lost in thought and the darkness hid the growing concern on her face. Almost without thinking, she kissed the back of Max's neck.

"Good night, Max." Kate let her eyes close.


	9. Chapter 9

Max awoke with start, bumping into the side of her bed.

"-the fu..." she groaned and squinted around confused, realizing she was on the floor. The memory of last night began to come back to Max.

_Kate_...

"Kate?", She called out uncertainly. Then again, with even less confidence, "Kate?" She was answered by silence. Max sighed in defeat and drooped her head down.

She let herself fall back into the blanket. After taking a deep breath in, the brunette rolled around with blanket around herself until she faced the ceiling. She paused a moment in thought before bringing the blanket back to her face and inhaled again.

_Kate_? _Yes_..._she_ _was_ _here_..._she_ _was_ _laying_ _with_ _me_ _last_ _night_..._wait_..._how_ _do_ _I_ _know_ _that_? _I_ _know_ _her_ _smell_? _I_ _**do**_, _I_ do _know_ _her_ _smell_..._ah_ _man_, _I'm_ _such_ _a_ _creeper_...

Max took in another breath from the blanket.

_I_ _don't_ _care_ she thought to no one and smiled, but it faded remembering Kate wasn't here.

_Might_ _as_ _well_ _get_ _things_ _started_.

She forced herself to stand up. Using the bed to assist her wobbly stance, she glanced at the bed, then away, but back again when she realized she saw a piece of paper there. She snatched it up and read.

_Hey_ _Max_! _I'm_ _sorry_ _I_ _had_ _to_ _go but I had so much fun with our first open ended sleep over. Maybe let's make it to the bed next time._

(there was a wink right after that and Max blushed even by herself as she continued)

_I had to get to church, but I will come back after that and after I take care of Alice and a few other things, so please stay. I want to be there before your parents come. I will text you. Have a wonderful morning, Max!_

-_Katie_

The dot in the "i" of "Katie" was a heart, a very tiny heart, but a heart.

Max read the note again a couple more times before putting it in a drawer. The paper almost felt sacred, because Kate wrote it for _her_, so she felt the need to keep it safe. Putting it in a photo album would be going too far, Max thought, but she actually wanted to, and was only stopping herself in case Kate somehow found it.

_Maybe_ _someday_..._no_, _I_ _need_ _to_ _focus_...

Max started to change into her clothes for the day to leave as soon as possible so that she would be back before Kate returned, but she decided to take a shower. In the back of her mind, she knew she was doing it for Kate, to smell nice for her, or at least not be smelly.

Once done, she quickly put on a pair of blue jeans and a black band t-shirt. Slipping her bag's strap over her shoulder, Max headed out the door and made her way to the bus stop once again. The next one arrived a few minutes later and she spent the ride listening to music from her phone's earbuds. She played Sufjan Steven's _To_ _Be_ _Alone_ _with_ _You_ on repeat most of the way.

Once she reached her destination, the brunette got out, but did not walk away from the bus stop. Max held an arm with the other hand and slightly twisted back and forth. She wished Kate was with her, but knew she could not do what she needed to do if her friend was here. Taking a deep breath, she pushed herself the rest of the way to Chloe's house once again.

She made it to the door, but again hesitated.

_Don't_ _wuss_ _out_ _now_, _Maxiepad!_ she could hear Chloe say.

Her finger lifted up and pressed the doorbell.

After a few seconds it opened and Joyce was there, smiling at her. "Max? Already? I am surprised, but so happy to see you." The older woman still appeared fatigued, but was something in her voice and eyes made her seem more lively.

"Hi, Joyce. I didn't call again, um, before showing up."

"You did not," Joyce said, still smiling. "But that's okay. You're here and that's what matters."

Max grinned in appreciation at the welcome.

"Well, come on in. It's just us today."

Joyce opened the door and kept it open to let the young brunette in. As soon as Max entered, she noticed the paper she had left last time, still on the table, but folded open. Noticing the girl's eyes lock on to something, Joyce turned and spoke when she realized what had Max's attention.

"Oh yes, the letter. We're going to sit and talk about that, I'm sure you know. I must confess, I've been reading it over and over."

As they sat on opposite ends of the couch, Joyce continued, "It's a love letter, to Chloe, right? Why...did you give it to me?"

Max looked down and bit her lip before replying, "I couldn't give it to her now...so...I don't know. I wrote it after...after what happened. Even if I never got to tell her...I thought maybe writing it down would help...help get through this. I don't think it did."

Max sniffled and her eyes started to water, but she still felt in control enough to go on. "But I thought maybe it would be good for you to see. I...I wanted you to know why I...loved her, and how amazing she was."

Max put a hand out to stop Joyce from cutting in and continued. "I know you know Chloe, you're her mother...but I know she kept walls up, kept...some things hidden. I just wanted you to...to know everything you could about her because I know how much you loved her too. I think if she had more time, things would have gotten better..."

Joyce was tearing up too now.

Max still continued, "It was also supposed to be a goodbye, but I can't stop thinking about her, and it hurts all the time. But...I don't deserve to feel so bad for myself. I have no idea what you're going though."

Joyce flashed a look of concern and said, "No, Max. Don't say that, you poor child. Your grief is just as real as mine."

Max lowered her head and subtlely shrugged.

"I mean it, Max. You are allowed to feel how you feel. Accept it now or you'll feel this way forever." Joyce looked at her worriedly, but shifted to a firm but kind tone, "I won't ever say it will be okay, because what happened was not okay and never will be, but...it will get better, I promise." She gave Max a brief hug and paused before she said, "I want to thank you then, for giving me this." She took hold of the letter. "It really does means a lot." She put a hand on her shoulder for a moment.

Max forced a smile through, even as a tear fell. There was a break in talk, so Max took the opportunity to ask a question, "I wanted to ask something, and I understand if you say no, but...could I...um, go in her room? One last time?"

Joyce hesitated for a moment, considering the question, but quickly said, "Of course, Max. Feel free to go up there. I'll just stay here and wait until you're done." She gave the brunette a reassuring rub on her back.

"Th-thanks, Joyce." She looked to the older woman in appreciation.

Max then headed to the stairs. She stopped at the bottom and looked up. Inhaling deeply through her nose, she let it out and noted the shaky way it came through. Still, Max pushed herself upward. With every step came a memory and by the time she was at the top, she was frozen once more.

_Come_ _on_ _Super_ _Max_, _you're_ _almost_ _there_! she could hear Chloe say.

_I'm_ _not_ _so_ _super_ _now_ _Chloe_..._I_ _might_ _as_ _well_ _never_ _had_ _been_...

But then she thought of Kate and had to take it back. She was the reason...but so close to Chloe's room, she shook away this thought and with that, slowly made her way to her friend's door. It was closed. She made herself open it, but she did not walk in. Max had closed her eyes, not wanting to not see Chloe.

_Fuck...why is this so hard? Just go in there, Max you piece of shit..._

Her anger provided enough to propel herself forward. Her eyes slowly opened as she cautiously stepped inside.

It was the same. Maybe a few things were moved, but it felt the same as if Chloe still maintained its messy punk aesthetic. When the brunette had stepped into the center of the room, she stopped.

Max stood still there for a full minute, taking in everything, before forcing out the words, "Ch...Chloe? I know you're gone but it doesn't feel like it here." She's glanced around then looked down. "I miss you...more than every golden hour that ever was. I would have saved you if I could. I hope you know I did everything...I tried everything...I just...can't anymore...so I have to let you go now...and even when I say that, I don't know if I mean it. I never should have gave you up. Ever. Never should have let us be apart. Not even the day I moved should have stopped me. But it's really not my choice now. I have to move on...but I can't. I'm just a hella crazy girl talking to herself now. Just...just a worthless fucking..."

A burst of tears interrupted her words and she staggered to the bed with a hand to her face before crawling into it. Max clutched feverishly at the sheet, pulling it to herself and wishing it was Chloe as she curled up, shaking and sobbing.

She lost track of time. When Max had no more tears and was silent, she still lay several minutes more. Finally, she let out a long held in breath and propped herself up on an elbow. After a several moments of thought as she caressed the pillow, Max spoke softly.

"Chloe. Please don't hate me, but there's someone I really care about now. I guess I always have..." She paused. "I have feelings I...I just can't help around her. I tried to ignore them, but...I don't know...is that okay? It probably doesn't even matter. She probably isn't..." Max forced out a frustrated sigh. "I have to try though. You would want me to, right? Would you?" Max ended a little more doubtful.

"I love you Chloe. I always will. I won't ever forget about you. But I hope you can somehow give me a sign that this is okay. But...for now...I'm going to get the next best thing."

Max leaned down and kissed her hand before placing it on the pillow. She held it there thoughtfully and then got out of the bed. Walking backwards, she made her way to the door. The brunette blindly felt behind herself, stopping her movement at the doorframe. With one long look into the room, Max whispered, "Goodbye, Chloe. I love you."

She turned away and closed the door without looking at it. She couldn't stay near there a moment longer. Max quickly made her way back down and found herself in front of the couch where Joyce still sat.

"Umm..." She began.

The older woman touched the brunette's hand and said, "Are you okay, Max?"

"...no but it doesn't matter. Actually, I need to say something. I...had another reason for coming here."

"Sit child, come on now. No need to stay standing."

Max let Joyce guide her to sit beside her. She was lost in thought and suddenly felt an arm around her.

"Go on..." Joyce said reassuringly.

"Well...you know I love...loved Chloe."

"Of course."

"There is..." Max felt extremely nervous to go on, but forced herself. "There's another...girl that I started having feelings for..." Her eyes darted up to worryingly check for Joyce's reaction. Instead of anger, sadness, or any of the other negative responses she feared seeing, Max saw compassion. This helped her continue on. "So I was hoping...I could have your permission? Your blessing...to um..."

"Oh poor child, you don't need to ask me such a thing. You are talking to a remarried woman who deeply loved her first husband. _Max_, you have the right to be happy. Chloe would want that, you know that, don't you?"

"I hope-"

"I know it, Max. Now...wait...was it that sweet thing you brought last time? Kate, was it?"

Max blushed, embarrassed about how obvious it was. Joyce grinned seeing Max's reaction confirm her guess. She gave one downward stroke of Max's hair with a small contented smile.

"You do like the pretty ones, don't you?"

Max turned her head away, feeling even more bashful.

"I'm sorry to tease, Max, but yes. Please go find happiness with this girl if it's there. We only have so much time on this earth. Does...does she know?"

"I don't know...I don't even know if she..."

Joyce understood the unspoken words "Oh...I see. Well, I hope for her sake she does. You are a perfect catch."

Max smiled, still feeling red.

Joyce added with a touch of melancholy, "You would have been great for Chloe. Without a doubt. I already know you would have been my favorite of them all."

Max felt her eyes water, but she felt uplifted by her words.

Joyce quickly continued, "I don't mean to bring us down again, Max. But, as I hope you already know, I love you. You should just know how much."

"Thank you, Joyce. I know," she spoke shakily, but still holding a smile. She wiped away a tear and gave Joyce a full embrace.

Joyce softly pat Max's back and said, "Well, that's enough crying for today. I'll let you go on your way, but please don't let this be the last time. I'd like to see you again when we are feeling a little better, or maybe less worse?"

Max nodded. "Yes, of course. I'll come back."

"Good. I'm looking forward to it. Maybe bring your Kate if things work out."

Max smiled shyly at first, but then doubt and concern took over. She buried it deep as she gave a final firm hug to Joyce before getting up. She was walked to the door and said her goodbye.

Striding toward the bus, Max did not think she was ready to confess her heart and soul to her friend, not with all her remaining doubts about Kate's feelings. She did at least feel that she might be able to let something happen if it did. For Max, that was enough for now. She felt momentary peace as she rode home.


	10. Chapter 10

When Max reached Blackwell, she took a detour from her room to make a stop at the nearby cafe Kate had gone to before, The Hot Spot. It had been too long since her last coffee fix. Max knew that she could and _should_ get food there too, but also knew she wouldn't, even if she couldn't even remember the last thing she ate. Too much was going on for her to realize she had a problem.

She hovered at the door, worried about who she might see, and just wanting to get back to the safety of her room. After debating with herself for several moments, the brunette relented that it would be quick and followed someone else in when the door opened.

Max got in line and already regretted not going straight to her room, but leaving suddenly would feel more awkward than staying. When someone stepped in place behind her, she knew she was stuck with her decision. Max glanced at her phone, and saw with disappointment that she still had no text from Kate. The anxious brunette perused the ads and announcements against the wall next to her and took one flier, folding the paper and slipping it into her bag.

When she was able to move forward, Max was now able to see around a corner and so she gave a glance. The girl shared a startled stare with Victoria Chase who sat at a table, uncharacteristically alone. They both froze in the moment. Victoria tried to recover, a smile seemed to creep up uncertainly, but then was replaced by her usual smug expression, but then was quickly again switched with a look of guilt and then she turned away. Max was unable to think and could only watch as Victoria struggled with her reaction. When the blonde turned away, Max finally processed through her thoughts and made a decision. With a laser focus, she left the line and went straight to the other girl. Victoria had turned forward again when Max was almost at her table and so met her gaze with even wider eyes than their first look. The typically confident girl seemed ready to bolt.

"Victoria," Max said.

"Oh...hey, Max..." Victoria was trying to not show her fear, but wasn't putting on an arrogant show to hide it. The brunette knew then she made the right decision.

"Can we...talk?" Max said, ending a little less bold than she started.

"Uh yeah...sure. Have a seat."

"Actually...private would be better."

"Hold on, let me finish my coffee. Just sit for now."

Max did not move.

Victoria sighed in frustration and said, "Please?" though sounded sarcastic.

Max narrowed her eyes and slowly sat.

At first they did not speak. Max broke the silence, saying, "So, where are Courtney and Taylor?"

Victoria looked annoyed at the question and replied, "I can do things without them, you know." She took a sip of her drink.

Max rolled her eyes. "Sure," she said, not hiding her skepticism. "It was just a question."

"Well, I don't know really and don't care. I needed to be alone right now, but here you are."

"Uh, yeah. Well, sorry to interrupt your _me_ time, but this is kind of important."

"Can't you just tell me now? No one gives a shit, Max. Everyone is focused on themselves, like most normal people." Victoria took another sip and crossed her legs, trying to contain her agitation.

Max kept calm and replied, "No. I'll wait."

"You're too stubborn, Caulfield."

"And you're not, _Chase_?"

Victoria smirked. "I am, but for good reasons and because I'm usually right."

"Oh, not always?"

"Even the greats made mistakes."

"And you're one of the greats?"

"Obviously. I knew you were smart, Max," Victoria half joked. She took another sip and continued, quickly becoming serious. "Almost done. Listen...I want to get past, well, our past. I..." Victoria seemed to struggle to continue her sentence. "I probably would have died that day if you hadn't come. I heard that you led Madsen there."

"How do you know that?"

Victoria hesitated, but spoke low, "I talk to the Prescotts. More since Nathan..." she trailed off and becoming somber. "More lately, and they know everything the cops know, so...yeah." She took one last sip and put her empty cup down. "So...just thanks...for saving me."

Max said, "Of course. I'm so glad I could. It...could have ended so different."

Victoria nodded, but appeared anxious. She seemed unable to maintain her open sincerity and so said, "Alright, it's time. Let's just go to my room."

Max said nothing but silently got up with Victoria. She led the shorter girl out of the cafe. Max looked back once, a little disappointed in missing out on coffee. It would have to wait.

They walked most of the way in silence. Max could tell it really bothered Victoria, but the blonde appeared too hesitant to continue the conversation. As they approached the building she finally worked up the courage and said, "So, Max...we are basically alone now. What is this all about?"

"I need to ask you something."

"Okay..."

"We're almost there. Let's just get to your room."

Victoria opened her mouth as if to speak, but then closed it. She was not used to this confident Max who seemed like a girl on a mission.

They finally got to Victoria's room a couple minutes later. She opened the door and closed it behind Max who immediately sat on the bed. The brunette was looking downward as if she just ran out of determination when she reached their destination.

No one spoke for several awkward moments and so Victoria said, "So...we're here," waving a hand in the air.

Max sighed and after a pause said, "Look, Victoria...we have a lot more we should probably talk about someday, but today...I need advice."

Victoria wore her surprise plain on her face and she visibly relaxed. "Oh?" she said.

"Yeah..." Max sighed again. "We both went through some heavy shit and maybe I'm stupid, but I feel like I can trust you, well...now. _Am_ I being stupid?"

Victoria answered with quiet sincerity, "No, Max. You're not being stupid. You are one of the last people I would hurt now." She seemed very uncomfortable being so vulnerable with her honest feelings said out loud.

Max sensed her genuine candor. "I think you might be able to help..." Max thought to the rumors of Victoria's sexuality and believed that if they were true, the moody blonde may actually be able to give her some direction. It still felt a little crazy opening up to her, but she didn't want to tell an actual friend yet and something told her that telling Victoria would be okay.

Max continued, hesitantly, "I...like a girl and I don't know how to tell her or even if I should." The shorter girl kept her head down but looked over to Victoria.

The blonde bit her lip with a look of perplexed calculation, as if trying to decide or figure out something.

Max did not notice as she continued her thoughts. "She might not even...you know...like girls too, but I feel like she does...maybe?"

Victoria seemed to have decided something and then stepped over to sit next to Max.

"And what are you afraid of?"

Max scrunched her lip and said, "I don't know..."

"Rejection? Embarrassment?"

"Maybe, but it's not just that, I-"

Victoria cut her off with a hand that turned Max's face towards her own and the other hand slid up the shorter girl's thigh. Max froze in confusion.

"You don't have to be afraid, Max..." Victoria said in a low sultry voice and then, before the brunette knew what happened, Victoria's lips were on her own, kissing her passionately.

Max put a hand firmly on the blonde's shoulder to give herself leverage to push away.

"Wha, wha...wait a second..." Max sputtered out, still in shock.

"Too fast? I'm sorry, I...I've been such a bitch to you and...I've been waiting a long time for that."

"Victoria..." Max was able to get a clear mind enough to know she was about to feel horrible for what she was going to need to say.

"No...it's not that...I'm so sorry. I-"

"You weren't talking about me..." Victoria became rigid, mortified now by her realization.

"I'm sorry," Max said again. "I should...go." She got up and went to the door. The brunette looked back once and Victoria didn't see Max's look of pity as she remained on the bed with her hands covering her face.

Max mouthed _Fuck!_ as she strode as quickly as she could, back to her room.

_Stupid_, _Max_, _of_ _course_ _she_ _thought_ _you_ _were_ _talking_ _about_ _her!_ _It's_ _so_ _obvious_, _why_ _were_ _you_ _so_ _vague? You're_ _just_ _the_ _stupidest_ _person_ _to_ _ever_ _go_ _to_ _Blackwell_. _Fuck!_

Max made it to her room and as soon as she closed the door behind her, she had a sudden horrible thought.

_Did I just betray Kate? No...no. Victoria kissed me, I didn't kiss her and I stopped it._

_But you enjoyed it, didn't you? _an accusing voice came in, speaking for her guilt.

_No! Maybe? She's a pretty girl, but I don't feel anything for her. Kate's the only one I want to kiss. So...do I tell her? But we aren't even together now...yet? So, no...but I still feel guilty. _

She was not sure what she would do. While swaying with uncertainty, she got a text from Kate.

**Kate:** Hey Max! I'm finally done with everything. You said you were meeting your parents at the Hot Spot at 3 right?

_Fuck!_ _I_ _forgot_...

They were going to meet right at the same place she just encountered Victoria. She felt a renewed surge of guilt. Max looked at her phone and minutes started passing by without her being able to formulate a response. Before she could think of something, Kate texted again.

**Kate: **I was thinking we could go there now since we only have a few minutes before 3. Are you in your room?

Max looked up at the time display and was still surprised to see Kate was right.

_Fucking_ _hell_, _no_..._no_ _no_ _no_..._I'm_ _not_ _ready!_

She breathed out a short sigh of frustration and then went to look at herself in the mirror before leaving. Somehow, this preparation made her realize that Kate, the girl she wanted to be with, was meeting her parents for the first time. A whole new set of nerves increased her anxiety, but then she thought more about it.

_Kate_ _is_ _perfect_. _They're_ _going_ _to_ _love_ _her_.

She settled back down a little, still a little more apprehensive about the meeting. She had to pull it together and reply though.

**Max: **Yeah I am here

**Kate:** Great, be there in a minute!

Max felt overwhelmingly nervous, wishing she had not just immediately told the truth about being in her room. It felt really hard to lie to Kate though. Realizing this fact about herself made her even more anxious.


	11. Chapter 11

Max was not ready to see Kate, but it was too late to pretend she was not in her room now. The freckled girl doubted that she could allow herself to deceive her friend anyways. She retrieved a jacket and put it on almost as just something to get her mind off of her worries. With nothing left to do, Max sat in bed, lost in thought as her leg shook. She heard a knock on the door. A million expletives shot off in her head while she tried to collect herself before letting Kate in.

When she did open the door, Max paused, momentarily distracted from her anxious thoughts. Kate did not appear completely different, but even under her large but stylish coat, there was something more done up about her.

Max blurted out her thoughts before she could stop herself.

"_You_ look extra nice today."

Kate blushed and tilted her head down under the unexpected complement.

"Well, Sunday..." Kate brokenly responded with a small shrug.

"Oh yeah."

No one spoke for a moment. Kate peered behind Max and noticed the guitar had been moved, probably after being played. She wondered if Max was still playing Chloe's song, but focused on the present and said, "Ready to go?"

"Yeah. Let's do this."

Max stepped out and closed the door. As they walked side by side, Max and Kate periodically exchanged glances, both subtlety smiling afterwards.

Kate spoke up. "So, I'm ready to fight for you."

Max missed a step and almost fell over, thinking of Victoria.

"Shit," Max said at her near accident. Then nervously to Kate she stuttered, "F-fight?"

Kate had moved to help her, but Max has already recovered her footing, so she just said, "To keep you here. Your parents?"

"Oh yeah," Max mentally sighed in relief. "So what's the plan?"

"We'll just show them how much we need each other. We'll make it criminal to separate us."

Max chuckled. "I can work with that."

"It's true though anyways, right?" Kate ventured.

With a sweet tenderness she could not contain, Max's tone spoke so much more than the one word she breathed out, saying, "Yeah," and shared a meaningful look with the other girl.

They were quiet again until they reached the Hot Spot. When entering, Max nervously searched around for Victoria while they found a booth to claim, but did not see her. The brunette hopped in first, to face towards the door to be able to see her parents, or anyone else, coming. She was a little surprised to find Kate scooting in next to her.

"Umm..." Max said not knowing what to say.

"Oh, sorry. I just wanted to see what it's going to feel like later."

Max thought her heart was going to fall out.

"When your parents get here, you know?"

Max felt stupid, but the way Kate added that last sentence sounded all too sly, and the brunette wasn't sure that she was being dumb at all. Still, it was so hard to know what words to read into with this girl.

"Ah, yeah, Got it."

She put a hand on Max's colder one under the table and smiled before moving out to sit across from her.

"Don't miss me too much, I'll be back soon," Kate said playfully.

Max just smiled shyly back.

The waitress came over to them. The Hot Spot was one of those hybrid restaurants where you could sit in an area to be served, or order at the front and the food is dropped off at your table. The versitality is one of the reasons it had become so popular. Max knew her parents would want to have the full restaurant experience.

"Hello, welcome to the Hot Spot. I'm Lucy. What can I get started for you?"

Kate waited for Max, but seeing her hesitate, spoke first.

"Chamomile tea, please."

The waitress nodded and turned to Max.

"And you, sweetie?"

"Umm...just regular coffee please. Hot."

The waitress snapped her book shut, not having written anything and said, "It'll be right out soon. Holler if you need anything."

With that, she left them alone again. Max looked to Kate and noticed that she seemed a little tense.

_Does_ _she_ _know? How could she? No...it's something else. Wait...is she nervous about meeting my parents? No...maybe? I don't know..._

Max couldn't stop thinking about what happened. Now that they sat here, it just got worse. It disrupted her thoughts, so she decided she had to just get it out before she changed her mind. Max thought it would be like how the body makes you throw up and then you feel so much better afterwards, but going through it was still the worst. She felt a little like throwing up now, but forced herself to get out her thoughts. It took a few minutes of awkward silence, but she finally spoke up.

"Kate..."

Just then, the waitress came back with their drinks. Placing them down, Lucy said, "Ready to order anything else?"

Kate spoke for them. "Thank you, but we have a couple more people coming soon, so we'll wait, thank you."

"Sure thing," she replied and left.

The blonde turned back to her friend and smiled, being mostly successful in hiding her own nerves as she waited for Max to continue.

"Well...Something happened today."

"Oh?" Kate picked up her tea.

"Yeah..." Max let out a big sigh and made herself say it. "Victoria kissed me."

Kate nearly dropped her tea cup and spilled a little on her hand.

"Oh shit," Max said under her breath. Then louder, "Kate, are you okay?"

The blonde softly replied, "Uh...no," her hands held frozen above the table.

By the look on her face, Max was not sure she was talking about her hand. The brunette grabbed a cloth napkin and took the cup from Kate, not caring how it burned her fingers before she put it down and then delicately wiped her friend's hand clean. She couldn't even enjoy holding the blonde's hand right now. Kate passively let her do this, but her hands retreated back to hold herself as she spoke neutrally.

"How...did that feel?"

Max stared back blankly.

"The kiss." It almost sounded like it hurt Kate just to say the word.

"It was...crazy. I never expected or...wanted that. Not with her."

Max could tell Kate was working hard to maintain her composure.

"But why...why would she do that?"

"I went to talk to her because of what you said and...I don't know. I think sh-she misunderstood me when I was asking for advice. I stopped her as soon as she did it and...just left."

Kate first looked down with no expression, but soon became thoughtful. She exhaled and seemed to become a little more relaxed, as if she could connect the dots to what happened.

"She _is_ pretty though."

"Well...she doesn't hold a candle to some girls..." Max said wishing she did not have to speak plurally to avoid being completely obvious. The freckled girl looked to the side, but could still see Kate hold back a smile in the corner of her eye. When she felt Kate's hand on hers, she knew they would be okay.

_Was_ _all_ _this_ _a_ _friend's_ _jealousy? It had to be more, didn't it?_ Max was starting to believe what she always wanted the truth to be, but could not completely shake some lingering doubts.

Kate said, "The truth just comes right out with you, doesn't it? You didn't have to tell me...I mean, if you felt too weird about it," she added to give more normalacy to her statement.

"I would never keep something from you, uhh...I mean...I feel comfortable telling you anything."

Kate knew what she meant.

Max's was looking past her friend when her eyes grew wide and Kate squeezed her hand and pulled her own back, sensing the meaning of her friend's reaction.

Max scooted out of the booth and said, "Hey Mom, Dad. You made it."

Kate had also gotten out and waited as Max gave each an embrace, her parents hugging back noticeably firmer. Max definitely didn't get her height from her dad, also seemingly well built. He had a thick beard that surrounded a friendly face. Her mom was more slight, with long dark hair, appearing more reserved but also had a kindness in her eyes.

"So glad to be back here to see you kiddo," her dad said after their hug.

"You look well. Happy," her mother amended. Max was looking thinner than either parent remembered and with how thin she already was, that gave them worry. Max did not notice the shared look of concern they gave each other.

Their daughter responded back. "My friend Kate helps with that. Kate, my parents."

"Nice to meet you," she said with a smile and shook Mr. Caulfield's hand that he offered.

"You can call me Ryan. It helps me feel young. Well, younger."

Kate smiled and turned to Mrs. Caulfield who went right for a hug.

"Sorry, I'm a hugger. And you can call me Vanessa if we're all getting to feel younger." She smirked at her husband as she let go of the timid young girl.

Kate let Max get back in and scooted in beside her. Ryan stepped aside to let Vanessa in, but his wife said, "Like you don't know I get up more than you. Just get in there," she joked, pretending to push him towards the booth.

He smiled cheerfully and relented, sliding in and playfully said, "Just being a good example for these girls on how a gentleman should act." The friends both turned to each other and then quickly away, both thinking the same thing. Max spoke up to cover their awkwardness.

"So how was your flight?"

"Uneventful, thank goodness. Much better than the last one," Vanessa said in somber but compassionate tones as she sat next to her husband. She put a hand out to reach Max, but was a little out of reach. Her daughter felt a little embarrassed, but extended it so that her mother could hold it.

"I really am so happy to see you doing so well now. You seem in a better place."

"Thanks, mom...I am."

"Still..."

Max frowned in anticipation.

Vanessa continued. "We really think you should come back."

"Mom..."

Ryan jumped in, speaking under his breath, "I thought we were going to wait to talk about this?" Vanessa ignored him.

"Now just listen." the older woman started firmly, but kindly. "I know you seem so much better now, but it wasn't that long ago were here and-" she stopped and looked to Kate.

Max spoke up, "You can say it. Kate knows...everything." Max still seemed wary of what would be said.

Vanessa nodded seriously and went on. "Max, that night...when we stayed..." She spoke quieter as she continued. "...neither one of us could console you. I don't think you slept peacefully for one minute."

"I do now."

"Oh? Really?" Her mother seemed doubtful.

"Yeah, um...well, Kate has been staying over...like a sleepover, and it's been so much better."

Kate felt the weight of pressure as Max's parents turned to her. The blonde knew that she had to speak.

"Yeah...I can vouch for her. She's been doing good now."

Ryan joined the conversation, saying, "I wish we knew your secret, because that night we took turns holding our sweet Max-"

"Dad..." Max groaned in embarrassment.

"-but she still..." He frowned. "I'm just surprised."

Kate realized just then how special it was that she could keep Max sleeping peacefully if the girl's own parents could not do it. She took a moment to revel in the assumptions she felt that it implied. She had to get back to reality though.

Kate appreciated that neither parent mentioned her own incident, but she thought it was time to bring it up.

"Well..." she began, "You probably heard what happened to me. We watch out for each other now, more than ever. She knows she can count on me, that I would do anything to make sure she's safe. And just like her, I don't have to be in classes for now, which makes it much easier to stay with her compared to someone who has to maintain their job, which I completely understand."

Both parents still looked a little guiltily away for a moment, despite Kate's excuse for them.

Kate still continued, "So it's probably some subconscious thing, you know? She knows you both love her. It's very obvious."

The Caulfields seemed to appreciate her words, looking visibly more relaxed and not at all shameful as before. Kate felt she had made a good excuse why Max only was comfortered by herself. It was not quite a lie, so felt okay to say. She hoped it made sense to them.

"You may be right," Ryan said.

Max spoke in playful annoyance, "Uh guys? you're talking like I'm not right here. Can we just move on for now?"

"Sorry Kiddo, of course. So...you know, it really hasn't been the same at the Thunderbirds games without you. "

"Yeah, I know. I miss it too."

Kate chimed in, "I didn't know you like sports."

"Well...I specifically like going to Thunderbirds games with my dad. I guess you could say it's a tradition. "

"A sacred tradition," Ryan jokingly added.

"The most sacred," Max said, one upping her dad in their playful banter. Kate could see how well she got along with him. It reminded her of herself with her own dad.

"So what are you aiming to be, Kate?" Ryan asked.

"I draw, so I guess an illustrator, maybe for children books?"

"She's amazing. Kate also plays the violin equally well. She's too modest to bring it up," Max proudly bragged for her friend.

"That's great. I'd love to hear you sometime," Vanessa said.

"Sh-sure," she replied, not feeling completely comfortable from the praise, but still enjoying it.

The waitress finally came back and said, "Sorry for the wait folks. I see the other half of your table made it."

Ryan spoke up, still in a good humor, saying, "No problem. Thanks for putting up with these two hooligans before we could get here."

Max rolled her eyes but was smiling.

The waitress gave a polite laugh and said, "What would you two like to drink?"

Ryan waited for Vanessa to speak first.

Max's mother said, "I'll just have a water, with lemon please."

"I've been sticking to water too. No lemon though please."

"Are we ready to order, or you'll probably need some more time I'm guessing?"

Ryan said, "It's bit of an odd time to eat, but I think I'm actually ready. By the way girls, our treat of course. Don't worry about it, it's our pleasure," he directed his last comment to Kate who smiled with gratitude but he did not give either a chance to argue anyways.

"Honey?"

"I'm ready. And I think Max calls it linner, right?"

Max smiled and said, "Yes, because it is!"

The waitress chimed in, "It's the best time to come, believe it or not," aware that it still seemed busy enough.

"Well, we didn't eat lunch, so I'm starving. I'll have this sandwich with all the bacon," Ryan said, pointing to the menu. He then asked the girls, "What about you two? You already eat lunch?"

"This will be it," Kate said.

At the same time Max shook her head and said, "Nope," then instantly regretted her automatic honesty.

"And you?" the waitress asked, turning to Vanessa.

"I'll have the turkey half-sandwich, thank you."

Lucy, now looked to Kate, who said, "The berry pecan salad, please." Then quietly to Max, "Us bunnies need our greens."

Max smiled but then became anxious as it was her turn. "I'm...okay right now, thanks."

Ryan and Vanessa fidgeted in their seats, looking bothered, but saying nothing. They discreetly shared a look.

"Max?" Kate said in a mixture of pleading, sadness, and scolding.

The freckled girl scrunched her mouth to the side and gave a quick exhale of agitation before saying, "I guess I can have some toast."

Kate stealthily put her hand on Max's under the table and gave her an imploring glance. Max's heart leapt with pleasure from the touch but then she looked guiltily back to her friend and gave a bigger sigh before saying, "Actually, you can just make my mom's sandwich a whole one. We'll share. It's cheaper that way." Kate squeezed her hand and then slid her own back without looking at her friend.

Vanessa couldn't help giving a pleased smile to Ryan, but quickly spoke to the waitress. "I think that will do it for us, thank you."

"We'll be right out with your food soon. Thanks, folks."

She left and the conversation slowly resumed, going everywhere from sports, to politics, and in between. The food came and the talking took a back seat for a little while, but soon resumed. When Max seemed done with her half-sandwich before it was gone, she felt a soft kick under the table from Kate and then a gentle shoeless foot slide up and then down her leg as Kate subtlety nodded to the plate. Max suddenly was unable to feel hungry for a different reason, but forced herself, wanting to please Kate. Max wondered if this touch was really just friendly affection. It didn't continue though, so she started to doubt it was more. The way she did it though...

_I think I'd probably kill for her _Max thought jokingly to herself. _Thank goodness she is the purest thing on earth._

At some point, Vanessa said, "Excuse me, I'll be right back. Actually, Max? Can you come with me?"

Her daughter looked surprised by her request and a little annoyed, and said, "Really?"

"Really," her mom answered back, getting out of the booth.

"We're those kind of girls now?"

"Girls? I'll take the compliment, but just humor me, Max."

"Okay, okay."

Kate was waiting for Max to be okay with getting up, so she only now scooted out to let her freckled friend leave.

Max turned to Kate and said, "I guess we'll be back...girl talk." She shrugged.

"And Mother daughter talk," Vanessa added. "Be right back. Ryan, don't bore Kate while we're gone. Be interesting enough to keep her from wandering off," she teased.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm always interesting," he said, playing along.

"Uh huh..." Vanessa said smiling as she walked away with Max who looked embarrassed by her parent's playfulness.

When they were out of sight, Ryan turned back to Kate and said, "So...Kate. I have no idea how much time we have, but I wanted to say thank you. Thanks for taking care of our daughter. She is _everything_ to us."

Kate smiled and said, "Of course. I care about her a lot too."

"I can tell. That's why I wanted to ask you something..."

Kate tilted her head expectantly.

He continued, "I know now we can't convince her to go. It's clear she's determined to stay. So the next best thing would be to have you watch over her. I need to know she is okay though. I think about my little, well not so little anymore girl every day and she doesn't always let us know what's going on. So..." He looked around and muttered, "Shoot. Hold on...actually, could you put something down in your phone?"

Kate looked confusingly back at Ryan as she got out her cell. "Yeah..."

"Put my phone number in there somewhere. It would really mean a lot if you could call or text if there's anything we should know about. If...she needs us. We don't need to know everything. I'm not trying to pry uninvited into her life, but...You're not a parent, but I'm sure you can understand our position, especially being so far away."

Kate nodded. "Sure, I'll take the number," She responded, not officially committing to anything more. She did not want to be secretive with Max, but she appreciated her parent's love and concern for their daughter.

Ryan grinned and he said, "Great. This means so much to me, to us." As he spoke the numbers she typed it in to a note, worried about keeping it in her contacts, but then decided she would not only put it in her contacts, but tell Max about it later. She did not want to keep secrets from her.

Kate had a sudden thought and said, "What about Vanessa? Was this planned?"

"No...she doesn't know I was going to do this. _I_ didn't know, until I met you. But this will help convince her. I'll take care of it later. Trust me. She'll...be okay with it. Just keep my daughter safe."

"I will. I promise," Kate said with heartfelt sincerity.

Ryan nodded and sighed. "You never stop being a parent. Oh, looks like they're coming back."

"Have a good talk?" Ryan asked.

"Of course," Vanessa replied. Max shrugged but seemed in good spirits.

Ryan continued, "Looks like we're all done, so I'll get the check and we can get out of here." He left but soon was back and left a few dollar bills on the table before turning back to Max's friend. "So, Kate, you are welcome to join us."

She smiled, but said, "Thanks, but I have somewhere to be soon. My uh, therapist," she added, deciding it wasn't anything to hide.

The Caulfields nodded with expressions of support and Vanessa said, "That's good. Therapy has worked wonders for me. I hope you have a good one."

"I think so," Kate replied.

Max remembered Kate's worry about the hypnosis and so as they got up she hugged her and whispered in her ear, "It's going to be okay, I promise." She then added in a regular volume as she pulled away, "Call me after, yeah?"

"Okay. I will," Kate said with a smile then turned to her friend's parents. "Maybe I'll see you again later, but in case I don't, it was so nice meeting you."

"You too, Kate," Vanessa said coming in for a hug. This time, Ryan gave a hug as well and Kate happily noted that is was the respectful kind where the man didn't squish his chest into her own. She also thought back to their talk and felt so happy for Max that she had such a good man for a father. Both parents obviously loved their daughter. He whispered, "Call anytime." From any other father it would sound creepy, but Kate knew exactly what he meant. She smiled in reply.

They bid their final goodbyes and went their separate ways. As they became further apart, Kate noticed a longing look from Max as she turned around and so smiled at her freckled friend. The brunette shyly looked forward again, embarrassed to be caught staring, but turned back once more with her own smile. Kate's heart soared and she almost forgot how anxious she was about her appointment and even her lingering worries about Victoria, now lost in thoughts of Max.


	12. Chapter 12

Later in the day, Kate left her therapist's office. It was located in a commercial building one bus transfer away and housed dozens of similar establishments. When she came out into the generic and sterile hall, Kate was staring off blankly. Each step she took was automatic and she only realized that she walked down the wrong hall when she reached a dead end instead of the stairs down. Before the blonde moved to head in the right direction, she got out her phone. She went to her favorites list, with Max on the top and stared at it. It took her over a full minute to call her friend, as she paced back and forth, but she stopped when the ringing started. It rang a couple times and then Max picked up.

"Hey, Kate," Max began cheerfully. "How did it go?"

Kate spoke evenly, saying, "Oh, um...fine. It was fine. Actually, I wanted to talk to you about it. Something came up that you might actually be able help explain for me, but I rather talk to you more about it in person."

"Oh. Yeah, sure. My mom wanted to talk to you more anyways before they had to leave." Her voice went to a whisper and Kate could tell she was moving around from the background noise. "When she talked to me alone at The Hot Spot, she tried to make me agree to come back with them, but I just told her more about...well, how much we care about each other and need each other..."

Kate started snapping out of her frazzled state and added her other hand to hold her phone, making sure it was close to her ear so she didn't miss a word from Max.

The freckled girl also noticed her own tone was becoming intimate, more than she intended to reveal, so she slipped back into a regular inflection. Her parents were not that far away and it was not the time or place to reveal her deeper feelings for Kate. The brunette continued, "I think I somehow got through to her, but after my dad talked to her later I knew for sure we convinced them to let me stay. I don't know what he said to her, but she seems okay with it now. It just seems like my mom wants one final check with you or something. My dad's on board though, so we're halfway there. Don't worry about my mom though. She just needs a reminder of how we..."

Kate finished Max's sentence, saying, "...belong together?"

The brunette shyly confirmed, "Yeah..."

Just then, Kate felt her phone vibrate against her head.

"Sorry, hold on a second," she said before lowering her phone over to look at the screen, just barely hearing Max say, "'Kay."

It was her mom.

**Mom: **Kate, we'll be picking you up sometime around 6 for dinner.

Kate groaned inside her head, frustrated how her mom was always commanding her, never asking. _What_ _if I had plans? Would it matter to her? Probably not._ Kate was sure her parents knew they would be there sooner than just now, but they just expected her to go along with their orders seemingly at whim.

Far worse was how her mom had been treating her since the incident at the Vortex party. Her mother did not directly say it, but Kate knew she blamed her for getting drugged and the video of her kissing all those boys. She was still her mom though, so Kate told herself that she forgave her mother's harshness. It just never seemed it would end though. She turned away from the dark thoughts though when an idea came to her.

Kate began typing back. After she stared at her phone for a half a minute waiting for a reply, Kate spoke into the receiver end and said, "Sorry, Max. Almost done." The text finally came and she quickly returned one of her own. After sending it, she returned the phone to her ear and said, "Hey, Max?"

"Yeah..what's going on?"

"Did you...I mean, do you want to meet my parents too? They're having me over for dinner. I'm sure they wouldn't mind you tagging along. They still haven't met my angel."

Kate could hear Max take in a sharp breath before saying, "Uhh...wowzer, that's um, a coincidence. I know your parents live here, but this right after mine came..."

"I know, right? Some things are just meant to be." Kate frowned remembering Max's lyrics to Chloe's song, but continued. "So...you wanna come?"

"Y...yeah. Of course. It would be awesome to get to meet your parents." There was nervousness behind a false confidence and Kate could hear it.

"It'll be great. They'll love you."

"Maybe...I just am not great with people these days. Well, people I don't know and this is my...friend's parents. I just don't want to look stupid."

"Aww Max...why would you think that? You're anything but stupid."

"Have you seen my math grades?" Max tried to joke.

"Max..." Kate delicately scolded.

"Okay okay, you're right. I'm sure it'll be fine," she said as if trying to convince herself.

"And no more putting yourself down. _I_ think the world of you so my parents will too." Kate was not completely certain of this, because she knew how her parents could be, especially her mom, but she decided to stay positive and optimistic.

Kate continued, "So...yeah, I'll head over. I think the bus will be here soon."

"Hold on," Max said abruptly. Kate heard the shuffling sounds of movement again and then the phone was muffled. Max was raising her voice saying something. Then she was back.

"Okay, so how about we pick you up? My parents rented a car, so we can get you so you don't have to waste all that time on the bus."

"Aww, that's sweet of them. They don't have to..."

"They already agreed to get you."

"Well, okay then." Kate found herself smiling, thinking how nice it was that Max's parents would do that for her. She felt accepted. Kate also had a boost of joy knowing she would see Max sooner. It was great enough to not even be spoiled by her apprehension about the conversation they would have later about her therapy session.

Kate gave the address and Max told her they would see her soon. The blonde made it outside and sat on a bench near the front. She immediately opened her sketch book and peeked inside. Her hands moved to go under the cover without fully turning it back, as if to conceal what was within it. After some hidden hand movements, she smiled and her face reddened. Kate looked around. She bit her lip nervously and closed the sketchbook, placing it back in her bag.

While she continued to wait, Kate began to look around herself out of boredom. Seeing some movement nearby, she carefully crouched down in her long skirt and leggings to find a pill bug making its way along the edge of the sidewalk. Kate reached over to pick up a leaf and placed it in front of the small crustacean. Once it crawled on, she gingerly carried it to the nearest landscaped area and put the leaf down near a bush. The blonde smiled, knowing the small creature was now safer.

When she sat back down, Kate took her sketchbook out again and began to make her own cartoon version of a pill bug. She wondered why it took her this long to appreciate the possible cuteness of some bugs. Deep into her fifth sketch, she did not notice the Caulfield's gray rental car until it stopped right in front of her.

Quickly snapping the sketchbook shut, Kate stuffed it in her bag and got up. She appreciated not being honked at. That's something her mother would do, she thought.

Kate was about to look inside to see which side to enter when Ryan came out. He opened the passenger door behind his own. She smiled and thanked him before lightly hopping in. There was Max, sitting behind the front passenger seat, looking as happy to see her as she was to see her freckled friend.

"Remember girls, gentleman behavior."

"Honey..." Vanessa said in humored annoyance.

"Dad..." Max groaned.

"It's just how a lady should be treated," Ryan said with a grin.

"Duly noted, Dad," Max said, but was looking at Kate. Her friend held back a smile and hoped the cold was enough to explain her blushing face.

"Thanks, Max. That's right, it's not a crime to give good examples."

"It should be, with you," Vanessa teased.

"Probably," Ryan said with a chuckle and closed Kate's door.

As they drove the short trip, the Caulfields first made small talk with the girls, but soon got into their own discussion. Max leaned over toward Kate and spoke low, saying with a touch of doubt, "So, it went okay?"

Kate felt Max's hand cover hers in the darkness.

The blonde inhaled deeply at the unexpected touch, seemingly trying not to react more than that. Max felt crazy for being so bold, having her parents right there. This time seemed somehow more risky than holding hands under the table at the cafe. The only thing covering their touch was darkness now.

"Yeah...we'll talk more about it later." Kate gave a small smile to assure Max that she was okay. The blonde slipped her hand out from friend's, much to Max's distress, but then it came right back and the freckled girl felt Kate push her fingers to intertwine with her own.

_This_ _is_ _new..._

Max revelled in the feelings, the fluttering in her stomach, the tingles throughout her body. She had seen friends hold hands like this, but it felt like so much more, especially after a few moments when Kate's hand gentely squeezed, almost caressing the top of her hand. The movement stopped a moment later and Max felt a side glance from her friend. She had become frozen, but Kate's look compelled her to respond and she returned the same motion with her own fingers. Kate smiled at this and turned to the window and then they were moving their fingers together. Just when Max thought her elation could not climb higher in this moment, Kate slipped a thumb to make gentle circles in her freckled friend's palm.

_Oh_ _god..._

Max had been given a somewhat similar touch from Kate before, but its intentions may have been different then and she had barely been aware of it in her broken state. She was very aware of the action this time and hummed an uncontrollable moan that was quiet, but definitely audible. She quickly coughed to cover it up. At first she tried to pull her hand back, but Kate held firm so Max left their fingers locked together. The brunette felt horrified, but neither parent said anything or turned around. Max prayed to all the gods and especially to Kate's that her embarrassing sound was not noticed in the front.

Kate had obviously heard her, which Max knew from the slight widening of her friend's eyes in the moment it happened. As she contemplated what Kate might think of the reaction from her touch, the brunette detected movement from her friend and then felt a reassuring second hand stroke her own, where the other fingers did not cover. It was brief, but made her smile. In the final stretch towards Blackwell, Kate gave Max another squeeze as they got close before sneaking her hand back to her lap.

After parking in the visitors section, they made there way over to the dorms. The Caulfields asked if they could visit in Kate's room to hear her play violin before it got too late, to which the blonde bashfully agreed. She had forgotten they were expecting that and so Kate's anxiety shot up as she desperately tried to decide what would most impress them that she also knew well enough not to risk completely bombing. Her mind raced, but she still struggled to pick an acceptable piece in her head. Kate wished for a moment that, when she was little, her parents would have made her take karate, gymnastics or just about any other kind of lessons instead.


	13. Chapter 13

When they reached Kate's room, she had finally chosen a piece to play. Something told her though, that she would change her mind as soon as she picked up her violin. She opened the door and let the Caulfields in. Vanessa instantly noted Kate's art displayed throughout the room.

"Max wasn't exaggerating. I love these. They're so cute! Look at the little legs on this guy," she said pointing for Ryan to see.

"Cutest bunny _I've_ ever seen," he said, coming over to look closer at the drawing.

"Yeah..." Max said as she locked eyes with Kate. When her parents turned to her response, she started moving and said, "Uhh, but here is her real bunny, Alice. She's the sweetest."

When they moved to see, Max turned around briefly to see a grateful Kate who was smiling bashfully at the appropriated compliment. At least that's what it seemed like to Max. Kate then took the moment to retrieve her violin.

Ryan put his hand to the cage and Alice sniffed from the back before hopping over to smell his fingers, the little nose wiggling away.

"Does this little guy, I mean girl, ever get out?" Ryan asked.

"Oh, Alice? Yeah, I let her run around because she needs to stretch, but she _does_ leave little presents."

"That they do. Ever thought about getting a boy bunny to make a bunny family?"

Kate giggled. "No...well, I'd like a bunny family someday...but no boy bunnies. They're just not for me."

Max froze, feeling as if Kate was blurting out her deepest of secrets, right to her parents. She turned her head slowly to analyze her friend's expression with a sidelong glance, but Kate's demeanor was all too casual and gave away nothing.

Ryan replied, "Yeah, I hear they can be just like dogs. Always trying to...well, you know. Do ungentlemanly things with...everything."

"Very true. Female rabbits can be territorial, but it's just Alice, so no worries there."

Vanessa butted in, seeing Kate hold the violin and eager to hear the blonde perform. "So...what are you playing for us, Kate?"

Kate became timid under the pressure of Vanessa's enthusiasm. She did as she predicted of herself and changed her mind about the music, deciding to risk playing the most difficult piece she knew.

"Oh, well...I thought I'd just play part of Bach's Partita No. 2. I'm still working on perfecting it, but here we go." The Caulfield parents sat on the bed and Max sat in her desk chair. When the blonde violinist saw they were settled, she lifted her bow to begin. She first made a couple mistakes and restarted, then shifted her stance which placed Max in the center of her view and the next attempt started cleanly.

Kate, so typically unassuming and gentle, became fierce and focused as she deftly continued to play the piece. Max had heard her play in the mornings, but watching her play this particular music and seeing her do it in person was very different and was having an intense effect on her. The skill of Kate's precision was impressive, so much that Max felt almost a physical effect watching her friend play. Max wondered about past memories, whether this was what those other girls were talking about when they said they were hot for musicians. She didn't think it was possible to want her more until now. The only thing that tempered her feelings was the presence of her parents.

The Caulfields were as enraptured by Kate's playing as Max, though to a much more expected effect. When the violinist ended the part of the piece she planned to play, they clapped with genuine appreciation.

"Bravo, Kate! That was amazing," Vanessa praised. "I am so glad I rudely pressured you into playing for us," She added with a wink.

Ryan nodded and said, "Yeah kiddo, I thought you might be upselling your friend, but it sounds now more like you neglected to let us know we were in the presence of a master. I might have to add that to my list of five things that make me cry, it was that beautiful."

Max felt speechless, but forced out the words, "That really _was_ beautiful, Kate."

Kate was not used to so much admiration for her playing, but she did know that she probably got through the piece of music better than she ever had before, so she accepted the praise graciously. She also knew exactly where the determination came from that made her achieve greatness this night. Kate met Max's stare for a moment.

"Thank you," she said to all of them. "You're too kind."

"You're too modest, but that makes you even better," Vanessa said warmly, then added, "Hey Kate?" breaking the girls' shared look. When the blonde turned to her, she continued, saying, "Could I talk to you in the hall, or maybe Max's room?"

Kate could not hide her nervousness. "Yeah...sure."

"Yes mom, thanks for asking. Of course you can use my room to interrogate my friend," Max said sarcastically, hiding her apprehension under a veil of half playful teasing.

"We won't be long," Vanessa said, not bothering to reassure either girl about her intentions.

Kate put away her violin, keeping herself mostly composed while her worries swelled up inside. She approached Mrs. Caulfield to follow the woman's lead. Vanessa then opened the door and put a motherly hand on Kate's shoulder as they walked out.

"Be nice to her!" Max called after them.

Kate felt a little less tense when Vanessa side hugged her and said, "You know Max is just kidding, right? Oh, you sweet thing, you _are_ nervous aren't you? I don't blame you. Not everyone is pulled away by their friend's parent to be talked to privately. This is just for Max though, I hope you understand. I love my daughter." She paused in thought. "Poor Joyce. You know Chloe's mom?"

Kate nodded.

Vanessa nodded as well in return. "We visited her today. Probably just missed Max when she came by. She is holding up, but I never want to have to face that fate with my daughter and I will do everything in my power to assure her wellbeing."

Kate almost didn't hear the ending statement, lost in her thoughts.

_Max visited Chloe's mom and didn't tell me...but why? Probably just to visit Joyce like the woman asked, but still..._

Kate's concern was apparent, which Vanessa misread.

"Don't you worry, I might turn into momma bear, but I know you care about my daughter too."

They stopped at Max's room and entered.

Vanessa looked around the room. "My child...still so messy. Can't blame her right now." She closed the door and guided Kate to sit on the bed with her.

The older woman sighed and said, "I'll just get down to it. Ryan told me he gave you his number and I will give you mine, but I have to know I can trust you not to hide anything I should know about."

Kate was about to speak, but Vanessa continued.

"If she is _ever_ in danger, if her _safety_ is in question _at_ _all_, even in the slightest, you _have_ to tell me. My little girl has gone through so much..." Vanessa began with increasing intensity, but broke down into a cry.

Kate came closer and rubbed her back, hoping that was okay. Vanessa did not stop her, so the young girl continued and started sadly, saying, "I know...she _really_ has, but I am here for her...I would never let anything happen to her. She's my priority, I _promise_ you."

"I can tell. You both seem so...close. I'm happy she has you...I just can't help worrying. I'm her mother, it's my job," Vanessa said still with a wavering voice and shaky smile.

"You're a good mom, Vanessa...I can't stop you from worrying, but I promise you, I promise you, _on_ _my_ _life_, I will keep Max safe."

Holding her smile a little better, Vanessa sniffled as she said, "I guess I can't ask more than that, can I?" She turned to hug Kate. As she did she said, "Thank you, Kate. For everything you've done to get her in a better place and for staying with her. She needs you, I know it."

"We need each other."

"Well, good. Have to stick together then, huh?"

"That's the plan."

"I'm counting on it," Vanessa said as she ended their embrace. She added while looking at Kate, "Now don't forget to call. If you need to, just do it. Also...could I get your number? I won't ask anything personal, I just will feel so much better if I can check in. Not all the time, but now and then. Max is less reliable, but she just doesn't want to worry me. The girl can't accept I'm going to worry anyways."

"Sure...I don't mind."

Kate reasoned in her mind that this would be okay, just as accepting both Caulfield's phone numbers would be okay, as long as she was honest with Max about it. Guiltily, she was ready for the pair to leave, just so she wouldn't have to hold the secret anymore. Though Max seemed to have her secrets...

"Thank you, Kate. She's lucky to have you as a friend."

"Of course, but I think-I _know_ we're both lucky. I wouldn't be here without her."

Vanessa turned thoughtful with a realization and said, "And how _are_ you doing, Kate? Really and truly, how are things?" She had put a hand lightly on the blonde's shoulder.

Kate hesitated, but decided to speak honestly. "Well...I can't remember things being better, so I must be doing good I guess."

"That's great. I'm so glad to hear it. For your sake, but also, Max does need someone strong right now."

"I know it."

They gave each other small appreciative smiles and both could feel that the conversation had ended. Kate gave Mrs. Caulfield her phone number, who entered it in her own cell. There was a moment afterwards where they just gave a look of understanding and then Vanessa got up, and Kate followed. When they exited Max's room, Mrs. Caulfield put an arm around Kate's shoulder as they walked down the hall.

As they came back into Kate's room, Ryan and Max were laughing about something. Kate could see tears in Max's eyes and wondered if it was from laughing too hard or if she had been crying earlier when they were gone. She had never seen Max laugh that hard before though to bring her to tears and the father and daughter seemed very close as if they were just done with an embrace, sitting on the bed side by side.

"Honey, I'm sorry to be the one who has to say it but it's time to go," Ryan said, looking at his phone.

Vanessa looked at her own phone and sighed. "You're right, it's time." She turned to Kate and gave her a hug whispering into her ear, "Please take care of my baby."

Kate gave a reassuring smile and Vanessa seemed satisfied. Max and her dad had stood to hug at the same time, and so they traded places to complete their goodbyes. Vanessa embraced Max fiercely. "I love you, baby...I'm going to miss you. Don't forget to call more."

Max sighed. "Love you too mom. Okay, okay, I won't forget," she said smiling.

"Yeah...we'll see," her mother teased. "Okay..." she breathed out after a large inhale. "Let's go."

"See you soon kiddo," Ryan said with one more half hug and a kiss on the side of her head and added, "Love you."

"Love you, Dad."

They soon were gone, leaving Kate and Max alone.

"That went well?" Kate stated, but Max could tell was meant as a question.

"Yeah...it did. Well, I'm still here, right?"

"Thank goodness for that. I really can't imagine you not being here, Max."

"I think we both know I need you more than you need me right now,"

"I don't know about that..." Kate said glancing away shyly.

Max's heart fluttered for a second before she moved the conversation on, saying, "So...Katie...what did you and my mom talk about?"

Max wondered if it was obvious why she only called her Katie in private. Her friend didn't comment on it though, but the brunette could see a sparkle in her friend's eyes at the sound of her pet name.

Kate walked over to her friend in thought and said, "How about we talk about it in your place? I know you like being in your own room more."

"Actually, I'd like to stay with you this time. Um, if that's okay?"

Kate smiled. "Of course. Need to grab anything?"

"Just a toothbrush. I guess I can just brush and come back."

"Okay. Go ahead, I'll still be here."

Max smiled and nodded before leaving.

Kate felt nervous as soon as the brunette left. A lot of concerns competed in her mind, everywhere from needing to tell Max that her parents wanted Kate to keep tabs on her, to the question she had regarding her therapy session, to how much their friendship had been accelerating, as well as the visit to Chloe's house that Max kept secret. It was hard to process. She was not sure she wanted to address everything now, but either way it was going to be a long night.


	14. Chapter 14

When Max returned, Kate was sitting on the bed, already in her pajamas. This time she had low cut cotton shorts. It was not the weather for it, but Max didn't say anything. It was really difficult though not to stare at her slender legs.

_She has to be doing this to me on purpose. Come on, Max...get it together._

The brunette forced out a question, "So...movie?"

Kate did not seem to notice Max's flustered state and said, "Actually I thought we could just lay in bed and talk."

Max gulped and replied, "Sure...yeah. That's sounds good."

Kate smiled and slipped into bed and under the covers, but then pulled them back half over herself to let Max in. The brunette felt her cheeks redden, and she paused before turning away and pulled down her jeans, revealing a dark pair of girl's boxer briefs. She went to put her pants by the bed, next to Kate's bag. As soon as she got near, Kate made a forward jerking motion of her body, as if she was about to try and come in between Max and her bag. She pulled back to remain where she was when the brunette simply tossed the jeans on the floor below the bag's place on a small bedside shelf. Max pretended that she did not notice Kate trying to keep her from her things, but wondered what her friend was protecting. She let it go for now.

Max got in bed, but was not able to look at Kate in her own partially state of undress until the blonde threw the other half of the blanket and sheet over her. When she did look, Max had to look away again under the weight of Kate's loving stare.

"Hey Max..." Kate's expression shifted to aprehension.

"Yeah?"

"So I still had a question that came up in my therapy..."

"Uh huh..."

"Well...she did the hypnosis. It actually worked and I was able to remember a lot more of that day...on the roof."

Max nodded, listening closely.

"So...it was actually pretty amazing. She had me be able to look at some moments in time like pictures and one of those moments I was looking down and across the campus. I didn't notice at the time...but...now I could see almost every face. And-"

"Hold on, Kate," Max said interrupting her. "I have to tell you something first before you say anything else. Please?"

"Oh. Okay..."

"Remember that first day you came to my room and I said there was something I was not ready to tell you?"

"Yeah..." Kate had no idea where Max was going with this, but she seemed all too serious and it worried her.

"Well..." Max hesitated.

_She may still think I'm crazy, but...now is the time to tell her._

Kate continued to wait nervously for Max to go on.

Max sighed in agitation.

_Fuck...just say it..._

Then she could hear Chloe. _Don't be a chickenshit now, Max!_

"Okay," Max began firmer than intended, but at herself, then spilled out, "You saw me didn't you? You saw me and the next moment I was there on the roof. Right?"

Kate's eyes grew large and her mouth opened.

"How..." she began, "How could you know that? How could you _know_ that, Max!? How could you _possibly_ know that!?" Her voice grew into almost a frantic shout. Max had never seen her like this. She seemed utterly anxious and confused.

"That's what I need to tell you...but you're still going to think I'm crazy." The brunette looked through her fingers as she covered her face.

"Max, you need to tell what is going on, _right_ _now_," Kate said firmly. "How on earth could you know what I was going to say? I was hoping you could tell me...how my mind must have...misremembered, or planted a false memory, or something...but not...not...tell me like you knew already..." she got out of bed and started pacing around.

"Kate..."

She stopped and turned to Max. "Did my therapist call you? They can't do that, they're _not_ _supposed_ to do that..."

"No, you _know_ she didn't do that."

"I don't know _anything_!I don't understand anything about this. There is no way you could know."

"Please come back? Sit and I'll tell you. I'll tell you everything."

Kate looked at her for a moment and then shakily stepped back and sat down at the end of Max's side of the bed.

"Kate...Katie...if I tell you something, can you promise me you won't leave, even if you think I'm crazy?"

"Max, I'll always be here for you. I promised you that already. No matter what."

"Please? Can you please just promise me?"

"Max-"

"Please!?" Max pleaded.

"Okay...I promise."

Max stared, still hesitating, still not ready to say it.

_Just_ _tell_ _her... _Chloe's voice commanded.

"Look...I..." She sighed then pushed herself to say it. "I can do things with time."

Kate was now calmer but more confused. She said, "wha...what do you mean?"

"That's how I saved you that day. I...god, this sounds so crazy, but I froze time to reach you before you could jump. I didn't even know I could do it until then. Before it was just going back a few minutes at the most." Max stopped to gauge how Kate we reacting. Kate appeared to be trying to comprehend what the other was saying, and spoke when Max paused.

"When I left my therapist I kept thinking about it. For a long time it just...I just was so confused. Later I thought that it must be a miracle. That...God sent you to save me...but now...I'm still confused." She frowned.

"Maybe God _did_... Honestly, I don't know what I believe anymore."

"Me either..." Kate whispered so low, Max barely heard.

Max hurt hearing Kate say those two words. She tried to keep God as a possibility for Kate in this situation, not take that away from her, but now wondered if she was still shattering this sweet girl's faith. Wasn't what was happening between them doing that already though? Kate defined herself so much with her religion, but Max knew there was so much more to her, the soft caring sweetness, the silliness, her giving nature, her art, music...but Max didn't want Kate's crisis of faith to break her. It meant so much to Kate. Max felt helpless, but the brunette was not even sure Kate had accepted her bizarre story as true yet. Who would?

"Max?" Kate softly asked. "I remember now you said that you...couldn't...do this anymore?"

Max scrunched her mouth and dropped her head. "No...I can't. So, this is the best I could prove that I'm not insane."

"Can I ask...why...why can't you now?"

"Well...I don't really know. I think maybe...when..._he_ drugged me...that's when it stopped. So maybe that..."

Max was starting to get emotional talking about that night. Kate forgot her confusion and concerns in that moment and moved to hold Max who quickly started breaking down. The brunette softly cried in her arms, needing to let it out. Kate rocked with her and whispered sweet hushes in between saying, "It's going to be okay...I'm still here...I'm still here..."

After Max was done, they stopped swaying, but remained in their tight embrace.

"Katie...?" The blonde felt the slight vibrations of her friend's voice through her cheek which pressed against the side of Max's head.

"Yes, Max?"

"Can we pretend...for now...I didn't say anything?"

"Max..."

"Just for now? _Please_?" Her voice was almost a cry.

Kate took in a breath and said, "Okay, Max." The blonde felt her friend squeeze her a little tighter in appreciation and the freckled girl let out a long exhale.

After a few seconds, Kate heard her say, "Can we lay down?"

"Of course," she gently replied. Max lay down on her back and Kate put herself partially over her friend. She draped a leg over Max's and placed her head on the brunette's shoulder. They lay quiet a while, both in thought.

Kate broke the silence, saying, "I wish I could make everything better for you. I really want to see you happy...see your beautiful smile and keep it there..."

The brunette smiled inside and out, savoring the compliment for a moment before replying, "So it's selfish reasons then?" she quietly teased.

"I guess so," Kate replied, playing along. She continued, saying, "Actually, I was wondering..." Max looked to Kate and saw a mischievous grin. "...if you were ticklish!"

Max yelped and started laughing uncontrollably as Kate dug her fingers into her arm pits. When she moved her hands up to stop her friend, the blonde instead dropped them down to tickle just below her stomach and made Max shriek before even louder laughter.

"I'll get you...just...you...wait..." Max said in between laughs. Kate had sat up to straddle her and grabbed both of Max's wrists and threw her arms back.

"Ha!" the blonde exclaimed.

Max lost all humor from her face and her eyes grew wide. She burst into tears and began sobbing instantly.

Kate looked down in alarm and let her go.

"W-wha...Max? What's wrong!?" She got off her friend and knelt beside her.

Max was hyperventilating, but managed to get out, "He tied..._my_ _wrists_...down..."

Kate slapped a hand to her mouth and said, "Oh my-I...I'm _so_ sorry Max! I wasn't thinking. I'm so sorry, please be okay!"

She hesitantly put her hands on Max's cheeks and seeing her allow it, started stroking her face gently with one hand. Max was starting to calm down and then froze when Kate bent down and kissed her forehead twice and said again, "I am _so_ so sorry Max. I will never do that again."

Max suddenly forgot all her fear and only could think of the feeling of Kate's lips on her skin. She exhaled deeply and said softly, "You didn't know."

"I should have, I-"

"It's okay, Katie. It's okay."

"But-"

"I promise you. I'm okay now."

"Okay..." The blonde still looked horribly guilt ridden. Max had to bring things back to how they were just minutes before, so she said, "Come closer, Katie. Please? I'm cold." She had a slight pout. Kate gave a little smile and began to regain her composure as she first wiped away Max's last tears giving Max a pained look that gradually faded but did not leave. She said, "I never want to hurt you, Max. Ever."

"I know, Katie. Of course I know that. I'd forgive you, but there's nothing to forgive. Just hold me?"

Kate's eyes were starting to water, but she nodded with an unstable smile before laying behind the brunette and threw the covers back over themselves.

She had a hand on Max's shoulder, but that's all the freckled girl felt. Max took matters into her own hands and scooted back towards the center until she pressed up against Kate. This seemed to signal the blonde to help close the gap until their bodies were as close as they could be. They lay there quietly at first, the supernatural talk about Max's former powers may have been lingering in their thoughts, but definitely took a back seat at this point. Kate could only focus on how horrible she felt for hurting the one she cared about the most.

Max said, sensing her friend's burdened thoughts, "It's okay, Katie. We don't have to talk about it. Just be close to me."

Kate seemed to let out her final ounces of guilt with a long sigh. There was a pause and then the next moment Max got what she wanted and more when she felt Kate slide a leg in between hers to intertwine them. The hand that touched her arm before now snaked around to wrap around her freckled friend. The other went under their shared pillow. Max's own arms bunched up together to her chest. She felt protected, but extremely nervous and excited as well. This is the most intimate she had ever been with anyone.

"So..." Max said, trying to start a conversation to cover her awkwardness. She was very aware of their thighs pressed together and Kate's heat on her body. Max wondered if the other girl could hear how fast her heart was beating. She couldn't stay still though, and shifted out of position to turn around and face her. Kate moved her leg back to line up between Max's, not forcing it but waited. The brunette bit her lip, not able to look the other in the eyes as she opened her legs to allow her friend's to slide into the opening she gave. She wanted it, wanted to be this close, she just almost couldn't handle it.

"So...Yeah?" Kate said stroking Max's back making her freckled friend inhale suddenly at the touch.

Max forced out a question, "H-how did you like meeting my parents?"

Kate continued to move her hand delicately back and forth from her friend's lower back all the way up to her neck. "They're great. They both love you so much. And your dad is funny."

Max smiled, her eyes now closed in her pleasure. "Don't...encourage him. He...mmm...embarrasses me enough." She couldn't contain voicing her bliss.

The way Max spoke, Kate could tell she actually enjoyed her dad's playfulness, but the blonde couldn't help but to focus less on that and more on Max's difficulty in speaking.

Kate teased, "No promises. I...I have to tell you something." Max waited aprehensively for her to go on and knew it was serious when her hand stopped its movement, though it remained on her shoulder with fingers grazing her neck.

"You were asking what I talked about with your mom. Well, both of your parents asked me to...keep tabs on you for them, to let them know if you needed them. They gave me their phone numbers and I gave your mom mine, but I guess Ryan probably has it too now."

"What?" Max was not upset but was not expecting that answer.

"Yeah...but I promise I would tell you if I ever call them or if they call me. I would never hide anything from you."

"I know...Katie. I just...it's just a little weird I guess. Makes me feel like a little child."

"They're your parents. They won't stop wanting to protect you," Kate said.

"I know...I guess that's fine." Max did not sound completely convincing, but Kate let it go as her friend continued, saying, "So...anything else?"

"Mostly just that. What did you talk about with your dad? It looked like...maybe you were crying."

"Yeah...I did," Max said not hesitating to tell the truth and went on. "He just wanted to know if I really was doing okay. I...broke down a little. But it was good, I should get it out and he always knows how to make me feel better."

Kate smiled and said, "Good...I could tell he's a good dad. Your mom too."

"Is a good dad?" Max joked.

Kate narrowed her eyes playfully and said with a grin, "You know what I mean..."

Max returned a smile back and then said more seriously, "What about your parents?"

Kate paused before answering, "They're good...um, they love me. My dad is the best, just..."

Max looked at her lovingly but with worry, and let her finish her sentence.

"...my mom...hasn't taken my incident well."

"What do you mean?"

"She..." Kate looked away and said, "She sort of...blames me..."

"That's bullshit!" Max rose her voice but then said quietly, "Sorry, but that _is_ bullshit. You didn't do anything wrong."

"She thinks I had poor judgement going to that party, that I should have known the kinds of things people do..."

"That doesn't matter. I can't believe that..." Max was becoming agitated with anger.

"Can we not talk about it anymore? I just want to be happy with you right now..." Kate said weakly.

Max had to reign in her outrage, but said more calmly, "Sure Katie. We can do that..." She stroke the blonde's face which made her smile once again. They just looked at each other after that and lay quietly together for a while. Max was thinking of what to say when she saw Kate move her hand to resume the soft touch along her back, but felt the blonde's hand slip under her shirt. She arched her back and moaned louder than she had before. She didn't want to hide it anymore. Max just wanted to enjoy it. She still laughed out loud at herself over her overt display of pleasure. Kate smiled when hearing it, and giggled a little too. Her hand now lay still.

Max didn't want to be cautious anymore. She softly pleaded, "It feels so good, Katie. Please don't stop." She looked down, still not able to meet the blonde's gaze.

"Actually I have being wanting to tell you...I thought of a nickname for you...if you like it." She resumed her touch.

"Mmm...yeah?"

"I sometimes write notes to myself and when I write names I use abbreviations...now I know your name is already short, but I write "m" so...could I call you Em?" She seemed so nervous Max would say no, but she didn't have to be. The brunette loved it.

"It's perfect, Katie." The blonde smiled in joyful relief.

"Yeah? 'Em' feels right?"

"Yeah...but only from you."

Max finally was able to look directly at her friend and her loving look was returned. The brunette moved a strand of hair that fell over her friend's forehead and her hand rested a moment on her cheek. She lifted it up, but then put it back down and lightly stroked it with one finger.

"Hey, Katie..."

"Yeah?" she said with a yawn.

"I know you said Alice wouldn't do well with other girl bunnies, but would you maybe...take a chance with one...at some point?"

After a small sigh, Kate said, "Yeah...for the right one...I definitely would." They both smiled at each other, their eyes saying more than their words. Max took in every movement from Kate, from the rise and fall of her breath, to the fluttering of her eyelashes. She was completely focused on this lovely girl wrapped around her.

Max didn't know how much more they could dance around the obvious truth, but there was still the tiniest bit of lingering doubt that held her from speaking openly about her feelings. She decided to just continue to show how she felt with her actions. Max moved her hand down from Kate's cheek, across her neck and along her side until reaching her hip. Her friend closed her eyes and sighed with pleasure, so Max repeated the motion a few times more. After one downward stroke, she slipped into Kate's shirt to feel her bare skin, just as the blonde did for her. Kate's breathed a little more rapidly at first, but then settled back down. Max couldn't believe how soft she felt.

_How can she be so perfect? _she thought. The freckled girl did not know why, but she began to hum a song while just thinking the lyrics, Elliot Smith's, Between the Bars. Her gentle tone soon soothed Kate to sleep.

When she knew Kate was truly deep in slumber she quietly sang one part:

_Drink up one more time and I'll make you mine _

_Keep you apart, deep in my heart_

_Separate from the rest, where I like you the best_

_And keep the things you forgot..._

She just wanted Kate to be hers and wanted to be Kate's and be able to say it, to truly act on it.

_Why can't I just make a fucking move or say... anything? _Anything besides all the double meanings they had been hiding behind, she thought.

The brunette felt frustrated and now too awake. She had to at least take a trip to the bathroom or she would never sleep. Max hated to part from Kate, but she knew she could easily get back into her arms. Now was the time to find if her friend was a heavy sleeper or not.

She carefully slipped her limbs out from Kate who quietly groaned and whimpered in her sleep. Luckily she did not wake and settled back down to a light breathing. Max crept to the bathroom, but was soon back.

Before she got back in bed, she looked at Kate's bag. She was nosy as ever and she had to know if Kate was hiding something from her. After a few seconds of hesitation, Max looked inside the bag. There was not much of interest beyond what she already knew was in there, so she picked up the sketch book. The picture she took of them making the kissing pinky promise fell out to the floor. It made a slight sound on impact and Max looked worriedly to Kate, but she did not stir. The snooping brunette left the photo where it lay as she flipped through the pages. Nothing crazy was inside, but it made her smile seeing the pill bug drawings. After looking them over a while, Max decided she must have been imagining things, and so gave up. Picking up the photograph, to put it back, she noticed it was clearly bent vertically in three places.

Max folded the photograph along the lines and it naturally pushed the center downwards and the middle of the photo disappeared as the left and right sides met. Max on one and Kate on the other. When the sides touched, the girls' lips lined up as if they were kissing each other. Max dropped the photo in shock. She whipped her head back to make sure Kate was still asleep. Seeing no movement, she looked down at the photo on the floor, but did not retrieve it until several seconds passed. She slowly bent down and picked it up again. Carefully folding it in the same way again, this time stared a long while at the reconstructed image. Max looked back to Kate again, but not to check on her state of consciousness. She bit her lip nervously. Finally, she unfolded the picture and slipped it back under the sketch book which she returned to its spot in the bag.

She quietly crept back into bed under the blanket and sheet, this time behind Kate. Max put an arm around her and she stirred slightly, only to scoot back closer into Max. The brunette breathed in the smell of the beauty in her arms as she nuzzled into her neck. It took everything in her not to wake Kate. Miraculously, she soon fell asleep.

In the morning, Max slowly opened her eyes and found Kate had turned around and was watching her.

"You have the cutest sleeping face. It kind of looks like this." Kate mimicked an exaggerated an opened mouth sleeping expression.

Max smiled at what she misperceived as a tease and said, "Well, you sleep like _this_!" and crossed her eyes with a tongue to the side.

The blonde laughed as she said, "I do not! I was really trying to show you!"

This felt so right to the freckled girl. She loved every moment with Kate. The memory of last night suddenly returned to Max.

"Well next time you wake up before me, you can show me my face," Kate said.

"You fell asleep before me, so actually, I can tell you now," Max said evenly.

"And what did I look like?" Kate said, still being playful. She did not notice Max's shift in tone.

Max gave her a loving look before saying, "You looked like an angel."

Kate froze, and held her breath before she was able to take in Max's words, not expecting the tender sincerity. She smiled bashfully while turning away and then felt Max's hand slip into her own and squeezed it instinctively.

"No..." she said shyly denying the compliment.

"Kate...I..."

Kate grew concerned seeing the troubled look on Max and moved closer.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I..." She sighed in frustration at herself.

"What? What is it?" She tried to have Max meet her gaze, but her friend had dipped her head down.

"I..." she could not say anymore and sighed once again in self-irritation.

"Max? Em? What-"

That's when Max tilted her head upward as she leaned in. She gently held the back of Kate's head as their lips met. The freckled girl briefly saw Kate also close her eyes and felt the kiss returned with all the longing she ever hoped for or imagined. Suddenly though, Kate pulled away. She had tears down her face.

_Oh god, what's happening?!_

"I...I can't...I just can't," Kate cried.

She got off the bed and said in a whisper, "I'm so sorry, Max," before grabbing a pile of clothes and walking to the door.

Max moved off the bed and put her hand out, desperately saying, "I don't understand...please...don't go...Katie!?" Her vision blurred for a moment.

Kate again cried out, "I'm sorry," and sobbed before fleeing out the door of her own room. Max was in shock. She let her go.


	15. Chapter 15

Max watched her door for the longest time, wishing Kate would come back, even knowing in her heart that the other wouldn't be returning anytime soon. She wasn't able to comprehend the passing of time to know how long she waited. All Max could do was go through every possible reason for what happened. The brunette wondered whether Kate thought she was crazy just like she feared, or if she was misreading all the signals and that the nagging doubt was actually right, but _that_ seemed more crazy; She had felt the kiss returned with equal passion. Did this girl want Max, but her faith was stopping her? Was it the dread of fallout with her family? Which was it? Maybe it was all her fears wrapped up into one true nightmare, she thought.

At some point, she had crumpled down to sit on the floor, leaning against the bed. Soon after, Max lay curled up and tried not to think about anything, but couldn't stop the heartache she felt. Instead of just being sorry for herself, she decided that she had to do something, anything to feel different, but she fought her desire to escape, knowing she had to focus, to figure out what to do.

_If I stay here...I will see her again...she has to come back...but...if I force the meeting, it might blow up in my face...I need to talk to someone...I can't think..._

She put on her jeans and got up to leave, stopping at the door. Looking around, she couldn't shake the fear that this might be the last time she would be in this room. A thought came to Max and she crossed back into the room and grabbed Kate's sketchbook out of her bag. She shook out the picture and picked it up.

_If this doesn't mean anything to her now, she won't mind if I take it. _

She stared at it with pained eyes and then put the sketchbook back into the bag before leaving the room as quick as she could. After wiping at her sniffling nose with her arm, she entered the hall.

Going with her only idea, she started off towards her room, while she checked her phone for Kate on the way. A missed call and voicemail. Just Joyce. She would check it later. No call, no text from Kate. When she got to her dorm, Max stopped at the door and turned around to the room across from her own.

_This is a bad idea..._

Stepping slowly to Victoria's room, she reached the other girl's door.

_A_ _horrible_ _idea..._

She checked her phone one more time, knowing nothing would have changed in less than a minute. Max did not bother knocking. She turned the knob and pushed the door open, while holding her breath. No voice complained or called out. She peered inside and saw it was empty. Looking once down each direction in the hall and, when seeing no one, she went back into Victoria's room and closed the door.

Max waited. As she sat on the bed, the brunette wished that she had charged her phone. She had been spacing more than usual, ever since that night. So now, not a second of power would be wasted, in case Kate called. It was difficult waiting with just her thoughts. They only made it worse. She didn't know what to do with herself and her anxiety grew every moment.

Max couldn't even use anything around her to take her mind off everything. She did not want to touch anything else besides the bed she sat in. A thought came. She remembered what happened in this bed and could not stay sitting. Even when getting up and moving a few steps away, Max couldn't shake the thought of Victoria coming close, the feel of the girl's touch on her face, across her thigh, her lips, and the guilt that came right after. She had to leave. After stepping out, she sat by her own door watching down the halls, deciding to wait there. Nothing would happen in the hall, she thought. It was safe..._right? _Max still wasn't sure, but she felt committed to this plan. It was all she had.

Eventually, Victoria did come. The blonde was startled at first to see Max and froze in her tracks. Her face quickly hardened as she moved to complete the last steps to her door, to Max, who had gotten up and watched her expectantly.

"Max...what do you want?" Victoria asked in a guarded tone.

"We still need to talk. I'm...sorry for just running out."

"There's nothing to talk about," the blonde said slowly, now revealing a weariness in her voice, as if she had not slept since they last saw each other. Glancing closer at the other's blood shot eyes, that may have been true.

"We have to resolve this or neither of us will get through the rest of the year. We can't avoid each other forever."

"Sure we can."

"I can't deal with that awkwardness for so long."

"Beats the awkwardness of right now," Victoria said, looking to the side.

"Let's just get through this. Victoria, I should have stayed and-"

"Hold on," Victoria interrupted. She sighed in resignation and continued, saying, "If we're going to do this, I'm _not_ doing it out here."

She opened the door to her room and walked in. Seeing Max did not follow, Victoria went back, but stopped before reentering the hall and said in frustration, but without energy, "What is it, Max?"

The brunette looked back at her nervously, not knowing how to tell the other. She knew though, seeing Max's reaction. After rolling her eyes, she said, "Look, I'm not going to jump you again, just come inside before someone sees us."

Max paused to analyze the truth in her demeanor. The brunette slowly stepped inside, not sure she could take the other at her word, but deciding she would have to risk it.

Victoria moved to sit in the chair to her desk, turning the seat partly around. This felt a little better. Max still kept her distance from the bed and stood a little ways across from the other girl.

The blonde was avoiding looking at her, but finally turned her head forward and said impatiently, "Well? What is it?"

Max made herself ask the first question that came to her mind. "Victoria...why do you like me? I always thought you hated me."

Victoria's hard facade buckled under the unexpected question and she gave an unconvincing snarky reply with a wavering voice, saying, "Why can't it be both?"

With a look from Max, she said, "Fuck, okay, okay...I don't hate you." She gnawed at the side of her lip, then spoke again. "I...it...fucking okay, look..." She growled at herself and balled her fists. "Damn it Max, you are obviously a gorgeous girl, but very annoying and nosy..." Victoria noticed Max fold her arms and so stopped her negative barrage. The blonde gave a long exhale before saying more slowly and calmly, "You are a great photographer. I never ever admit it in class because I'm fucking insecure. I'm sure you figured that out, you're so goddamn smart, even if you space out in class. And you are sweet and caring and fuck, is that enough for you? Did you come just to rip me open?"

Max shrunk under her words and looked to the side as she quietly replied, "No...I'm sorry. I...just wanted to understand because...I had no idea. I don't want to hurt you Victoria. I really don't. I actually _do_ care about you."

Victoria took a few moments to think over Max's response. She seemed to no longer be morose, but the absent sourness still left a melencholy.

"Did...did I ever have a chance?" the blonde asked in a fragile tone the brunette never heard come from her before. Max was seeing a completely exposed Victoria and she did not want to shatter this girl, despite everything from before.

The freckled girl looked on the other with kind eyes as she said with honesty, "Maybe...this Victoria, the one I'm talking to now would..."

Victoria mustered the courage to meet the other's gaze. Max knew she had to extinguish the hope she saw, but would as gently as she could.

Max said apologetically, "But I can't now. There's someone else." She saw Victoria break a little with her last words, but it couldn't be helped. Still, she added, "I'm sorry...maybe if..." she trailed off. She thought of the reason she came, but couldn't ask Victoria for advice. It would be too cruel now. Max regretted coming.

With her walls up again, Victoria said, as if reading her mind, "_Maybe_ means nothing now, right? You are trying to be with that other girl...so...who is it?"

"It...it doesn't matter now." Max couldn't speak without giving away the hurt she felt.

Victoria gave a frustrated sigh. "What happened Caulfield? You can't just say that. Just tell me," she calmly, but firmly ordered.

"Well..." Max thought it was okay to talk about now, since Victoria was asking. "I...I kissed her."

Victoria's eyes widened, but she said nothing.

Max continued, saying, "She ran away right after, but I swear she was kissing me back. I don't know what happened."

Victoria was thoughtful for a moment and said matter-of-factly, "Sounds like she's not ready. Probably never will be. Or...she's just confused, trying you out before going back to the other side." The blonde tilted her head as a half shrug.

Max's eyes broadcast the hurt she felt from hearing the other's words. "No...it's not like that..." she said faintly, not convinced of her own words.

"Max," Victoria said firmly. "I have seen it before."

"How do you really know? Maybe-"

"It happened to _me_."

This silenced Max.

The blonde spoke tiredly, "You can want it with every part of you, but...you can't make the other feel the same way." Victoria had become solemn and contemplative. She wasn't looking at Max anymore.

Max didn't want to hear any of this. It wasn't how she thought this would go at all and she didn't know how to fix it. She felt the urge to leave.

"Victoria...I have to go. I'm sorry for bothering you. I...I'm sorry."

As she spoke she was walking backwards to the door. With her final word she opened it.

"Max..." Victoria said a little confused and firmly, trying to make the other stop.

It was too late though. Max again said, "I'm sorry," before stepping out and closing the door behind herself. The brunette realized as she left that she was doing almost the same thing Kate did to her. Though their situation was completely different, it just reminded her too much of the event and she felt even more horrible as she fled to her room.

Back in Victoria's room, the blonde got up and took a step toward the door, but stopped. She looked at it sullenly and then turned around. Gazing around the room, she ended her searching glance on the desk in front of her and sat back down in the chair, now turned sideways.

Victoria stared off, looking far past her room, somewhere deep in her thoughts...then a tear fell. She wiped it away quickly, as if the less she acknowledged it, the less real the pain would be. Her head bowed low and her lip quivered, but then she bit it hard to stop the movement. Her face turned dark.

In the next moment she threw her arms across the desk and swept almost everything off it, scattering objects all over the floor, turning herself in the chair to face forward as she did it. Victoria pounded her fists down on the bare wood and screamed. Breathing heavily with grit teeth, her fists still pressed against the top of the desk as she angrily stared at it. After a few moments her head fell down and she whimpered, "Fuck..." before sobbing. She only allowed herself a few seconds before stopping her cries. With her head still laying down on the desk, Victoria waited for her breath to slow down. Her eyes stung and hands hurt as she remained in the chair unmoving. After a minute of this, a thought came to her. She wiped her arm across her face and her head rose slowly up. Victoria stared off again, now with sheer malevolence.


	16. Chapter 16

As soon as she got inside her room, Max collapsed on her bed.

_Why do I keep fucking up!?_

She did not know her subconscious pushed her to return to others when she felt something was unfinished or wrong because it was the closest thing she could do to rewinding. Going back had worked out well enough with Joyce, but not Victoria. Not at all. Her mind stirred up a memory from the hallway that jostled her from her distress.

_Joyce..._

Getting out her phone, Max went straight to her voicemail. She pressed play and put it to her ear.

**Joyce: **"Hi, Max. I just wanted you to know that a detective just had David come in again for questioning. I think they might be coming for you next. That's what David is guessing. Just wanted you to be prepared for it. Please call if you want to talk, sweetie. I'm here for you."

_Fuck fuck fuck...I don't need this right now!_

Just the thought of talking to Joyce about being questioned stressed her out. If she called about Kate, Max knew the trial would still come up. She did not want to make her panic worse. Staring at her phone, she tried willing her phone to ring, for her friend to call. In her mind though, she wrestled with who she was waiting to call, what Kate was to her.

_Is she still a friend? Hasn't she really been more than a friend, or have I lost her now even just as that? What am I going to do..._

Max looked at her phone again and then noticed the time and had a realization.

_Fuck, my therapy session! I have to go, _now_! _

She stopped though, thinking of Kate.

_Will she even be here today? She would be so mad at me for skipping it for her. Maybe not mad...dissapointed? I don't know...I don't want to miss her if she comes back..._

Max's brain settled on a compromise and she wrote a note explaining where she was and placed it on the bed. She hoped Kate would look there. The brunette did not have time to think of a better spot. Her mind went straight to the bed when she thought of Kate, because that's where they spent so much time, though somewhere in her subconscious it may not have been the only reason.

She looked around the room, trying to think if she should bring anything. She rememberered seeing the photo she took from Kate laying on the bed near the note she left. She hesitated for a moment and then snatched it up, folding it in the bent sections to more easily fit in her pocket. She didn't want to put it in her bag which she grabbed too. Max wanted it closer, safer.

Waving the bus down to stay, she made it just in time before it left. As Max rode down to the therapist's office, she folded and unfolded the photo over and over. The brunette did not know she was torturing herself. She was trying relive that wonderful moment when it felt like life was going to be okay again.

When she got to her stop, Max looked at the time on her phone and saw she would only be a couple minutes late. She walked fast, but did not run, until she reached the office. Once she made it through the waiting room, the brunette apologized right away as she stepped in.

"I'm so sorry for being late. I got umm...distracted."

Her therapist, Dr. Linda Miller, a dark-brown haired woman with just a touch of wrinkles, replied calmly, "Don't worry about it Max. I'm glad you made it."

Max gave an awkward smile of appreciation and sat in the comfortable gray couch in her usual spot in the corner, farther away from Dr. Miller.

"So..." the older woman started. "Want to tell me what is distracting you?"

"Lots of things..."

"Is there one you'd like to talk about?" She gave a closed mouth smile.

Max didn't know where to begin. Then her phone vibrated in her pocket. Quickly looking, she saw it was a number she did not recognize. Max first wondered if it could be Kate, but then guessed it was more likely a detective calling her in to talk. She hoped it was not Kate calling from another phone and just sent the caller to voicemail.

She wanted to talk about Kate, but for some reason, Max didn't think this straight middle-aged woman would have the answers. She admitted to herself that she may be making false assumptions and judgements, that she should give this person a chance, but Max simply did not feel comfortable. The brunette had not even told Dr. Miller her true feelings for Chloe, but Max guessed that the woman probably figured it out from how she talked about her late friend. If she did, she still did not bring it up in their sessions. Max felt an expert at dancing around the matter at this point.

The brunette did try to consider opening up to her therapist about Kate, but it would not be today. When it was closer to the event of this morning, she might've told anybody, but she felt calm enough now to have regained her reservations. Max went with the next biggest thing on her mind.

"I think they're trying to get me to come in again for questioning."

"And how do you feel about that?"

"Well...hella nervous." Max slipped into Chloe-speak more often in her therapy sessions. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not, whether it was helping her through the grief or extending it. For all Dr. Miller knew, it was how Max always talked.

The therapist continued, "You've told me before about how you felt about the police the first time. Do you have the same feelings, or is there anything new?"

Max considered the question, then answered, "The same feelings, I don't like talking...thinking about that night, but...there is something new I guess..." The brunette was not sure she wanted to talk about lying to protect David, but risked going vaguely over the matter.

"Yes?"

"Well...they're going to ask about what I saw David do, I know it and I...I don't want to say anything...wrong and get him in trouble. He doesn't deserve to go to prison."

"You're afraid your words might be taken the wrong way, is that what you mean?"

"Umm...yeah? I guess?"

"Is there anything specific you're afraid of misspeaking about?"

"I don't know..." Max didn't want to say it. The horrible moment came to her mind though and she could see the disfigured face of Jefferson staring at her. She closed her eyes as if that could hide her from the image and covered her face with both hands, but it was still there.

"No, no, no..." she whimpered as she curled up into herself. Max could vaguely hear Dr. Miller telling her to breath and to use her calming technique. It took a few moments, but she started to follow the instructions. Max found herself finishing counting and taking one last deep breath. Dr. Miller was sitting beside her.

The older woman waited until Max seemed ready, and then said, "Feeling okay now?"

Max nodded and wiped her tears away.

"I'm sorry, Max, but can I ask just one question about it?"

The brunette nodded again.

"Are you still seeing him at night, in your sleep?"

Max looked to the side unsure how to answer at first. "Yes, well...it's gotten a little better." She thought of Kate, then thought of what would happen tonight in her absence. A dread filled her.

"How so?"

Max hesitated, and then answered to distract herself from the growing worry, saying, "Sometimes it ends quicker or I get through it and stay sleeping...I think." That was the truth, just without mentioning Kate.

"Sounds like you're making progress."

"Yeah..." Max said quietly.

They continued talking until the session time ended, going over a few other topics including how Max had been eating, which she knew the therapist would bring up. It was hard continuing to lie on her improvement when the evidence was right in front of her. Luckily, the time ran out. They confirmed the next appointment and Dr. Miller wished her well as she left.

Max went straight to her phone as the door closed and saw a voicemail, she guessed from the unknown number. She had to listen just in case it really was Kate that called. It was as she feared though. A detective identified himself in the recording and asked her to come in for questioning, or to let him know where he could find her if that is what she preferred. He actually did not sound too intimidating, but she would avoid talking to him as long as possible for now. He mentioned coming on campus if needed though, so she knew it was only a matter of time.

Less than an hour later she had ridden the bus back and was at Blackwell. She cautiously went through the halls, watching for both Kate and Victoria, but seeing neither. Max had to check Kate's room. She reached the door and stared at it for a few moments, then decided knocking would not be enough. Kate wouldn't ignore her, thought the brunette. _Would she? _Max was not sure now. She had to know whether the other girl was inside or still gone.

Max gingerly turned the handle and peered through the opening as it grew wider. When it had fully opened, there was no one in sight. A quick step into the room confirmed that it was empty. All appeared the same, possibly indicating that she had not returned yet. Max prayed that it was _yet_, that she _was_ coming back at some point. The note was still there, so she took it back and crumpled it into her pocket all the while her paranoia grew. She made herself leave.

Returning to her room, Max drank some water before retrieving the stuffed rabbit, Little Kate, and brought her to the bed. She used her feet to pull off her shoes, then crawled over the covers. Max held Little Kate tight as she curled up on her side. After a moment she peered down and softly spoke to it while stroking its head with her thumb.

"I need you, Katie...

She didn't cry. Max just felt empty. There was an entire future that she had yet to let herself fully imagine. Now that dream began to crumble in her mind. Inside, she was lost.

After laying down a long while, she slowly sat up and looked around until her eyes settled on her guitar. It was something to do, to let her think and feel less. She played for a long while before stopping. Sometimes she sang, but had to stop when her voice wavered and just continued playing silently.

_This may have been a bad idea..._

This was still better than laying in bed, she thought, so she continued. Her hands had not yet developed callouses, so eventually she had to force herself through some pain to keep playing. It was another way to distract her mind and just another thing Max told herself she deserved.

She finally felt satisfied and lay the guitar down before taking a quick bathroom break and again lay down in bed. After another long period of trying not to think, Max searched around until she found a blank journal. She had not written anything since before that night. She brought it to her bed with a pen and just stared it until finally forcing herself to open the cover. The plain gray front turned to reveal empty lined paper. Not a mark was made yet.

It took her a few minutes to start writing, but then she lost track of time as she filled some of the pages. Feeling done, she slid it under her pillow and felt a little better. Not much, but it was something. She preoccupied herself with other small activities in between just laying in bed and, at some point, darkness came. The hour grew late, and she looked at her phone. 9:48 and no word from Kate.

She was about to turn off the lights when a light knocking broke the silence. Max couldn't help but run to the sound. She told herself not to be stupid, not to hope, but when she opened the door, there she was: an angel standing before her, sharing her look of hesitation and expectance.

"Katie..." Max breathed.

She wore her pajama pants and a shirt, with her bag slung over a shoulder. Kate adjusted it before beginning with a tone that broke the sense of peace that came with her return and worried the brunette.

"Max, I'm going to say something and you need to listen and do what I say and _not_ say anything or I have to go." She took a deep breath. "Can you do that?"

The freckled girl never heard the other speak this way to her before. The tinge of sharpness hurt Max and she worried what she would have to agree to, but she would go to hell and back to keep this girl here right now. There was an instability to Kate's show of confidence. Max knew her well enough to see it. Still, she nodded.

Kate looked a bit relieved and continued, saying, "I told you that I would always be here for you and I meant it. I care about you so much..." The hardness faded in her last words, but she shook her head slightly and brought it back up as she continued. "Now we are going to go in there and get in that bed, but I don't want to talk, I _can't_ talk right now. We just sleep. Okay?"

Max nodded again and her lower lip trembled as her eyes grew glassy. She saw Kate's firm expression crumble and a pained look take hold, but the blonde talked shakily through it. "We...we were suppose to meet with my parents today if you remember." She looked away, unable to keep her eyes on Max's hurt face and then continued, saying, "I told them it wasn't a good day for it. I think it was the first time I said no to them about...anything..." Kate looked a bit distressed or anxious mentioning this, but continued. "I guess I must have mentioned you and so when they realized I was talking about the girl that saved me, they asked for you to come before I could. They said something about wanting to thank you properly. They first tried to push for today again, but I...just couldn't...I wouldn't let them. But tomorrow, we are going. Both of us. Okay?"

Kate was trying to be commanding, but from her voice, Max could sense the fear of her possible response. There was nothing to be afraid of though. Max nodded once more, eagerly. She didn't understand what was happening, but she would say yes to going anywhere Kate asked.

Her eyes did not change, but Kate slightly revealed a held back smile at the brunette's response and then said, "Good...okay. Let's go in now."

Max backed into her room, filled with paranoid fear that if she turned around, Kate might flee. When the blonde crossed through the doorway, the other closed the door. Max was waiting to follow Kate's lead, but realized she was waiting for her too. Walking over to the bed, the brunette looked over uncertainly, but saw Kate follow. They both stood on either side of the bed for a moment.

Kate suddenly had a thought and reached into her bag and pulled out a protein bar. She tossed it on the bed towards the Max and said, "Eat this first."

Max hesitated, but picked it up. She said, "But-"

With firmness, Kate simply said, "_Max..._" Her face let the brunette know there was no other choice, so she did as she asked. Kate watched from the first to last bite and did not look away until the last swallow.

Max then got into the bed, knowing the other was waiting for her to move first. The absence of the joy she always felt when they were close was killing Max. She would take all Kate would give though. Max curled up, facing away from the other girl, uncertain what would be allowed. Feeling the movement in the bed, the covers lifted and brought back down, Max waited in hope to feel Kate's touch. In the moment, she yearned for it more than anything she could remember. Nothing happened at first and she worried this would be how they would sleep. More movement was felt through the bed though as Kate scooted close to form into that familiar hold, her body pressed against the other and an arm wrapped around to tenderly hold the freckled girl close. A leg slipped in between both of Max's which she quickly gave room to intertwine with her own. There was such a mixture of emotions that the brunette did not know how to handle it.

Max told herself not to do it, but she softly cried in Kate's arms. She hoped it would go unnoticed and was able to be quiet until some sniffles came out. A hand delicately came down to wipe her tears away. She heard a similar sound come from behind her and so twisted her body to be able to look at Kate, who had her eyes shut tight as she gently wept. Max gave into her impulse to reach around and wipe away the other's tears, but Kate held her firm and did not let Max move her arm. Kate opened her watery eyes before saying, "No, let me take care of you. I'll be okay Max, just...try to sleep, please?"

_Why did it have to be like this!?_

Max did not want to scare her away, so she relented and turned back around, looking away from the other. It killed her though to not be comforting Kate. Feeling helpless, she shook a little as she let herself fully cry and the other held her even more tight and cried with her. It all felt so stupid and confusing to Max.

_Why can't we just be together? I know we want the same thing...I just know it...but why is she doing this to me, to us? What is holding her back!?_

Max forgot to keep her promise for a moment and said, "K-katie-"

Kate cut her off, trying to be firm, but, speaking as brokenly as the other, said, "Max...please...I don't want to go..._please_?"

Max whimpered at Kate's continual use of her regular name, but nodded and said, "O-kay..."

Kate made sweet hushes to sooth the girl she held and Max felt her breath tickle warmly down the back of her neck. She started to calm down. Kate then unexpectedly spoke in a tender voice, saying, "I promise you, we will talk tomorrow...not right away...I'll let you know...just sleep, please sleep, Em."

Max melted with the last word she heard, the sound of her name passing through Kate's lips. She made a sound of affirmation to let Kate know that she would try to sleep.

After a minute of silence, Kate began to hum a song that Max did not recognize. Its sweet tune carried the exhausted girl to her dreams where all was well.


	17. Chapter 17

When she woke, Max jumped up with a start and scrambled around the bed, searching with her hands. She heard a small yelp from Kate when her hands bumped into the other girl's body and had grabbed at it before she knew the blonde was there. Max wasn't awake enough to know where exactly she groped Kate, but the girl looked very red and said nothing at first.

As the final cloud of her sleepy haze lifted, Max blinked and rasped out in partial disbelief with her morning voice, "Katie...? You're still here."

Kate smiled, but the next moment there was something less cheerful behind her stare. Before she could dwell on this reminder of the current confusing state of how things were between them, Max realized what she must have just done.

"Oh god, I'm sorry, Kate! I just, um... panicked for some reason when I woke up. I think I was still a little asleep."

Kate smile became reassuring as she said, "It's okay, Max. Don't worry about it." Her face was a much lighter shade now, but Kate still turned to look away. She held a protective hand against her chest which slid all too slowly down before it was removed.

She was saying "Max" again, which was fine sometimes, and she had just called her "Kate", not "Katie", in her own abashed state, but now, whenever the blonde girl said it, the name felt very purposeful and almost forced, a reminder that things were not okay.

Kate got out of bed with a stretch, one arm extending. She caught Max staring, who turned away with a mumbled, "Sorry," and did not see Kate's pleased grin as it quickly faded.

"Let's get ready for the day. I'll be back soon," the blonde said as she started to head to the door.

Max tried to hide her startled reaction at Kate's sudden departing, but her friend saw the fear.

Kate moved back to the bed and reached out to put her hand on Max's. "I'll be back. I promise. Just let me feed Alice, practice my violin and a couple other things, like...putting on clothes that aren't PJs."

"Yeah, okay...I'll see you soon," Max said, trying to sound casual.

With a nod, Kate went to the door, gave one last smile and was gone. Max got off the bed towards her, but stopped herself as soon as her feet hit the floor.

_Don't be crazy, Max. Kate's coming back. She promised. _

She turned around and let her upper half fall onto the bed. As she lay there, Max thought a million things, but one of the thoughts made her stop. She crawled back into bed and lay in the spot where Kate had slept. Max pressed her face into the sheets and took a deep inhale.

_Kate...Oh god, I'm doing it again. It's too late, I AM crazy._

She butted her head into the mattress to snap herself out of it. Sliding out of bed, Max then collected her things and wrapped herself in a towel to go to the showers. There was no way she was going to meet Kate's parents greasy and smelly, she thought. Right when she felt ready, there was a knock.

Max thought Kate was being overly cautious about catching Max indecent, but the girl's politeness was endearing and expected.

"Just come in, Katie!" She called from the other side of the room. A second later there was a knock again. Max crosses to open it, starting to say, "You don't have to kn-," but when she swung the door open, it was not Kate in front of her, but a man. He was clean cut and dressed semi-professionally. She froze.

He seemed to sense her confusion and said, "Sorry, to startle you miss. I'm Detective Neiman. I'm sure you got my message. Maybe you want to get dressed first so we talk can talk?" He had his badge out displayed for the girl to see.

Max was very aware now of the towel clinging to her as the only thing covering her body, but she felt like a deer in the headlights. After a moment, she went with her learned instinct to follow the will of authority, so she said, "Sure..."

"Great." He put away his badge and Max closed the door. She quickly put on clothes while feeling her mind fill with distress. It was very hard to open the door again, but she did. The man was still there and paused when Max stayed standing in the same spot. When she said nothing, he spoke. "So...how about we go inside where it's more private?"

"Oh! I'm, yeah. Sorry," Max clumsily replied. She stepped inside and when turned away from him, allowed the panic to again show on her face before she held it back again when closing it behind the man.

Detective Neiman scanned the room and asked, "No friends over right now?"

"Umm...no. Well...someone might be back here soon..." She sat on her bed, assuming he would sit in the chair by the desk, but he just placed himself in the center of the room and remained standing.

"I guess we'll just get started then and try to get done before that."

He sounded casual, like this was just some quick errand to take care of before he headed back to the station. The brunette didn't know if that lax demeanor was authentic or just a strategy to lower her guard. He got out a small pad of paper and pencil and looked back to the nervous brunette before speaking.

"I know you already gave your statement to the department after the incident, but we just need a little more to wrap things up."

"Okay..."

"Can you please go over the events of the night of October 11th of this year, starting with what transpired at the 'vortex' party?"

Such a direct statement paralyzed Max except for her hands which began shaking.

Detective Neiman waited a moment, but saw that the poor girl was not going to be able to compose herself. He said with some compassion, "Miss? Are you okay?"

Max forced out a broken response, saying, "I...uh...it umm well..." She really wished Kate was there.

The detective flashed a look of pity before saying, "It's okay, miss. Take your time."

After a deep breath in and out, Max was able to say, "Sorry, it's...still hard to talk about."

Neiman sighed with what seemed to be resignation and said, "Okay, look. I will level with you kid. But-" The man appeared to be weighing a decision in his head and after a deep inhale, breathed out, "I need to see your phone first."

Max stares blankly. Her hands were now still in her distracted confusion. "What? My...phone?"

The man came over, but not too close and said, "Yes, please?" He had his hand out, waiting.

"But...why..." Max put her own hand to cover her the place in her jean pocket where it rested.

Neiman appeared a little frustrated to have to explain himself to a teenager, but said with some patience, "I need to see that you aren't recording."

"I'm not..."

"Miss, please. I need to see."

Max hesitated for a moment, but decided she believed him. She handed over the phone.

"Thank you," he said before going through it, checking all the open applications. After a few seconds he returned it and said, "We're okay to talk now." He looked around the room though and added, "You don't have anything recording around here, right?"

Max quickly answered, "No...Nothing."

He nodded, seeming to believe her and said, "Kids these days. You are recording everything all the time and there are so many ways to do it now." He shook his head and continued. "So...I think I know what you might be worried about. At least part of it. Madsen, he saved you, right?"

"I'd be...dead without him," Max said softly.

Neiman nodded again. "He's one of us, a man protecting the people, former military. No one wants to see him locked up. I know if things went down a certain way..." He locked his focus on Max and kept talking. "...it might be bad for him. My opinion? I don't give a shit what he did, excuse my language. That bastard..." He did not apologize this time. "...he deserved what he got." He paused and looked down a moment before looking back to her, saying, "There are people...powerful people who don't want the people's avenger punished for bringing down justice on that piece of shit. Now, I am usually one for following the law and everyone having their day in court...but that...that son of a bitch needed to be put down."

Max felt more than a little shocked at his candor.

_Powerful people? ...did he mean the Prescotts? _

People did say that they owned the police. She wondered if it was a good thing for once. It also was announced just recently about Nathan's body being found.

_Did the detective mean vengeance for him? Nathan? Do they even know about his involvement? They have to! _

It all felt dirty to Max.

He went on, "So, we can make this much quicker. I am going to have to write some things down. You tell me if I'm right."

Max nodded.

"Good. So, I can piece together everything up to what happened in the bunker. That's what's bringing up the most questions. Let's...let's start just before Mr. Madsen came in. You were tied in a chair on one side of the room, facing the door, correct?"

Max nodded, her expression showing her distress even just hearing another talk about it. The detective looked up guiltily from his pad of paper, but went on.

"So when Mr. Madsen came in, you called out to warn him?"

Max nodded again, still unable to speak.

"There was a struggle. Mr. Madsen was hit by a large tool and Jefferson ran by you. That was when you were able to kick a light over which distracted him, and Mr. Madsen was able to deliver a punch to his head which knocked him down. Now...after this..." He paused and grew intensely serious. "You said Jefferson reached for a gun and Mr. Madsen had no choice but to fire?"

Max felt the weight of the detective's gaze. She couldn't even nod now.

"_Miss_ _Caulfield_. Is that true?"

She still was frozen.

He did not seem so friendly anymore as he spoke harshly, "_Is_ it!?"

Max broke from his raised voice. "Yes!"

His hardened face disappeared and he said disturbingly nonchalantly. "Good. That's what I thought. I think I have all I need here."

His expression had a touch of regret as he said, "Have a good day, Miss Caulfield. I'm sorry to have bothered you." He added, "Take care," as he left the room.

As soon as he left Max buried her face into her bed and balled tears. She needed to let go of all the anxiety and horrible feelings the "questioning" brought into her. She was still crying when she heard a light knocking as the door opened.

_Katie!_

"Max, what's wrong!? What happened!?" the blonde cried out, the concern plain on her face. She ran over to her freckled friend, who partially sat up in the bed.

The brunette held out her arms as she whimpered, "Th-the...de-te-tec-tive came..." Kate said, "Oh, Em..." and embraced her while standing, not wasting a second to begin holding her. Max buried her face into Kate's chest and slowly began to match the blonde's calmer breathing. She felt her friend stroke along her side and another hand through her hair as she said, "I'm so sorry, Max. I should have stayed with you. I'll never leave you again."

Max felt soothed by the touch, but her heart stopped with the last statement, wondering what the other meant. She hoped for a moment then doubted it was anything more than a comforting phrase and this thought devastated her. She started crying again.

"Shh...shh...sweet Em, please be okay...please...shh..."

Kate kissed the top of Max's head on her hair, then tilted her own head to kiss the freckled girl's forehead once, then twice more.

As before, Max was instantly calmed as she held her breath, then released it along with all her distress. Her body relaxed into Kate's arms. Now able to think again, Max began to worry about the future. The damaged girl had no idea how she would get through her constant and numerous triggers, at least not without the other girl. Max didn't care if she never got better, as long as she had Kate. The way she held Max made her want to believe she would never leave, but her words echoed in the freckled girl's head.

_I_ _just_ _can't..._

Max almost wished she hadn't kissed Kate. Before then, every wonderful moment with her was just a mystery or pure elation. Now, after that morning, everything felt bittersweet and the answer to any of the mystery felt like it would only reveal devastation.


	18. Chapter 18

When Max was quiet, when her tears stopped, only then did Kate loosen her hold. She got into the bed beside the brunette and took one of Max's hands in both of hers which she placed in her lap. Kate rubbed her top hand up and down Max's arm, all the way to the hand she held, then a few strokes there and said, "Tell me what happened."

Max first just watched her goosebumps form. The sight and feeling were very distracting. It was all too tempting to get lost in the moment with everything happening around her. She knew she was taking too long to answer though, so said, "Umm...h-he just was here at the door. I thought it was you and then he was inside, asking me questions...but I...just couldn't talk. It was like he was reading my mind...he knew I didn't want to get David in trouble, so he just told me what he was going to write down, like...he wrote my words for me...but...he wanted me to agree to it and I still couldn't talk...then he got mad. When I finally said yes, he acted all normal again and left."

"Sounds like a creep."

"He was the _creepiest_."

"But he wanted to help David too?"

"Yeah...said something about him being the same because he was in the military..."

"That's good though, right?"

"Yeah...I'm just...being stupid..."

Kate frowned. "Don't say that. I know it's hard for you. All these reminders...I understand Max. It's not stupid."

"I guess..."

"Of course it's not," Kate said as her fingers lightly grazed Max's cheek. Just as the brunette felt she would melt into her delicate touch, Kate suddenly realized what she was doing and returned her hand.

Max quietly sighed and Kate looked guiltily away before asking, "Anything else?"

"Yeah, actually...I think he is being paid off by the Prescotts."

Kate's expression turned slightly perplexed as she asked, "What makes you say that?"

"Well...he talked about powerful people not wanting David to be punished for doing justice or something like that. It's gotta be them he's talking about. I agree with him, but the Prescotts? With all that's happened it just feels so...wrong."

"Yeah, it does...So...now what?"

"I finish getting ready. That guy stopped me from showering. I probably smell as bad as I feel."

"You don't smell bad at all, Max. I mean, I'm sure it's fine, but um, go ahead if you want to now."

Kate looked a little flustered by her own words, but Max was too much in her own head to notice.

"Yeah...I guess I'll do that now."

"I'll let you get to it then. But I don't want that jerk coming back and not be here to protect you."

"I doubt he'll go in the showers," Max said smiling.

"I should shower too anyways. So, meet you in there," Kate said with a smile and wink that shut down her brain. Max heard the door close and realized she had left.

_Is Kate still flirting, even now? We haven't talked about what happened yet. It's like she can't help it. She...she wouldn't just walk into my shower...right? That's not something she would do...We're just going to do our own thing in our own stalls and then get dressed to leave. _

Max couldn't help think of what else could happen, but dismissed the fantasies before they got out of control in her head.

She changed back into the towel and brought her shower toiletries with her in a bag. When she got to the showers and slowly opened the door, Max listened for signs Kate had gotten there first, but heard nothing. She wasn't sure whether to be relieved or not. Stepping into a shower stall, she hung up her towel and placed her things in a corner. Might as well get started, she thought. As she started the water going, Max heard the door open. She stayed silent and unmoving until Kate said, "That you in there?"

"Uh-you know it."

_That was stupid, Max. Why do you have to be such a mega dork right now?_

Kate giggled and the melodious sound made Max forget how dumb she felt.

The blonde chose an adjacent stall and entered it. Max temporarily forgot to do anything but stand in the shower as warm water flowed down her body. She could only stay still and listen to every detail of what Kate was doing. She barely heard the more modest girl take off her clothes and when she started the shower, Max couldn't help but imagine the goddess that was so close to her and what she might look like right now. After a few seconds of this, she was able to snap herself out of it and started washing her body, but she stayed very aware of every sound in the other stall.

In the middle of their showering, Max heard Kate begin to hum that same tune that gently carried her to sleep before. She instantly let go of her lust and just took in the other's tender tones. Max knew it was for her. She looked to the wall towards Kate's direction and wondered if she was looking to her as well. Her hand went to lay flat against that side and she let the water pour down on her head as she dipped it low and just listened. When Kate reached the end of the song, it was quiet except for the sound of water, and Max was able to finish showering.

The two girls soon made their way back to their respective rooms. Max had rushed to get done when she heard her friend turn off the water. The brunette didn't have to worry though, Kate was waiting for her before she left. She was in a towel, which surprised Max. It was something she had never seen before. The other always changed right away. Max tried and failed to not stare. Kate seemed to notice, or at least smiled in coy amusement without explanation.

As they got closer to their rooms, Kate said, "I know I said I would stay close to you, but I'll be right back after I change, okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Max replied with a small smile.

"Good," Kate said as she squeezed Max's hand. For a moment the blonde's towel began to slip and Max's eyes widened and she froze, but Kate quickly grabbed it and held on, fixing it back into place.

"Whoopsies."

"That was a close one," Max managed to say.

Kate blushed and said, "Yeah...okay, well, see you in a minute. You can stay in your room. I'll come to you."

"We should probably come up with a secret knock, so that doesn't happen again, like with the guy."

"That's a _great_ idea, Max."

The blonde took Max's hand. The freckled girl suspected her friend used every excuse to hold her hand or touch her, but she would not complain.

"Okay, so how about this?" Kate said, lightly knocking on Max's palm three times, then two times, and finally once more.

"That's seems easy enough. Three, then two, then one."

"Shh!" Kate said playfully and put her index finger on Max's lips to shush her. It was everything the brunette had in her not to kiss that delicate finger.

Kate smiled and said in a whisper, "Have to keep it secret, Em. Be more careful." She winked and removed her finger.

Max gave a nervous smile and laugh under her breath before quietly saying, "Y-yeah, got it."

Kate seemed to realize the intimate moment and a look of uncertainty passed through her expression before she turned away.

_Damn it. Not this again. I should have expected it. Why does she seem so guilty or regretful or whatever it is she's feeling...I wish she would just tell me..._

Max was distracted from her guessing when Kate said, "Okay, so see you soon."

"'Kay," she replied and they both went to their own rooms. A few minutes later, Max heard their new secret knock and smiled. She rushed to the door and opened it. Kate was standing there, looking as nice as she did on Sunday, still wearing the large stylish coat.

"We aren't going to church, are we?"

Kate looked confused but then look to where Max was staring, down at herself, and then understood. She seemed a little embarrassed as she replied, "I feel like I'm going to church whenever I visit home. You know, my dad being a preacher, I guess?"

Max felt Kate holding back something and wondered if her friend was dressing nice because this was the first time she was meeting with the blonde's parents. Max then looked down and wondered if she was dressed good enough. She wore black pants that weren't jeans at least and her shirt was a plain light gray, covered by a forest green parka.

"Umm...am _I_ okay then?" She looked back up from herself to Kate.

"Em, you're perfect."

That statement gave Max a little jolt of shock and joy. Kate quickly added, "I mean, don't worry about it. They aren't that judging on appearance. They're _my_ parents, so that's why I worry. I know they have expectations of me..."

This saddened Max. She wondered what other expectations Kate was desperately trying to live up to for them.

Kate continued, "I do love them though, even my mom."

Max looked to her with a mixture of melancholy and concern.

"Forgiveness and redemption, Max. Remember?"

That was what she had said about Victoria in the hospital. The brunette shook away the thought of the other girl, not wanting to think about her.

Max then dared to hold Kate's hand for a moment as she said, "You're too good for this world, Katie. That's how I know you're an angel."

"Em..." she said bashfully, then a thought took her out of the moment. She squeezed Max's hand and said more evenly, "Not really..." before letting go of the brunette.

"Sorry, too cheesy?"

"No...you were my angel first." Max smiled, then Kate shifted her tone. "Hey...Max...do you want to try and visit my sister?"

"Sure, which one?"

"Lynn, the younger one. I think we can get there in time to catch her during lunch."

"They'll just let us in?"

"I volunteer there, so they know me. It wouldn't be the first time. I'll vouch for you."

Max looked doubtful, so Kate added, "It's a private school. They're not as strict as some others."

"Oh. Well, sure. Let's hurry then."

Kate smiled and they made their way down to the bus stop. The blonde had brought her bag and pulled out her sketchbook while they waited. Max became filled with anxiety as Kate flipped the pad open and froze. She turned through the pages frantically, and shook it out, but nothing fell loose. Max had to stop her.

The brunette put a hand on Kate's and the girl looked over to her with worry, and her eyes were becoming glassy. Max felt horrible. She said, "Katie...I have it. I'm sorry, but I took it that morning. I didn't know if I was going to see you again." She looked to and away from Kate guiltily. Kate was first expressionless, but then relaxed and seemed relieved. She spoke with some embarrassment as she said, "You know about that?"

"Yeah..." Max said scrunching her mouth to the side, still feeling guilty. She then said, "Here," as she pulled it out of a pocket.

Kate's hand darted to take it, but slowed down as it reached Max's. They both held it for a moment, before Kate slipped it from Max's loosened grasp. The blonde put it in between both hands like she was protecting a precious treasure.

"Thank you," Kate said softly, as she closed her eyes.

Max knew she was wrong then for suspecting it didn't mean anything to Kate anymore. The brunette bounced her leg up and down, trying to let out some anxiety as she wondered when they would finally have the conversation that would explain everything and maybe destroy everything too. Max tried to focus on their upcoming meeting with Kate's sister, Lynn. At least this was a small step to meeting her family. She could deal with that much, at least she hoped.


	19. Chapter 19

It was hard to give the photo back, but Max would have given her left hand to stop Kate's distress. With its departure, the brunette felt she was also committing to a weak hope that somehow this would all end okay.

When the bus came, Max waited to let Kate go in first. The blonde smiled at the chivalry and passed her to enter inside. She went straight to the back in a corner, moving past just a few passengers spread out evenly through the seating. Max followed her friend and sat beside her. They were quiet at first, but then Max spoke up, thinking of the photo and remembering something.

"So...there's something else I forgot to mention about, umm..." She looked around to make sure no one appeared to be listening and, even while satisfied, then quietly said, "What I can do, I mean...what I used to be able to do with time..."

Kate waited patiently for Max to continue as the brunette still hesitated. She felt bad for not yet telling Kate this fact, not sure why she did not mention it during her confesssion about her former powers. Somehow, this felt the most ridiculous thing to say, so the freckled girl guessed that this might have been why she held it back. Max reminded herself that she had told her enough crazy things already, and so said, "I...can, er, could use photos to jump back into my body at that moment in the picture."

She looked to Kate for her reaction and saw some confusion, but then a realization came to her and the blonde said, "The butterfly photo..." remembering the lone Polaroid on the bulletin board.

Max frowned while nodding and added, "I was trying to save her...trying to save Chloe one last time. She kept...dying though..." Max thought of Nathan, the train, Chloe accidentally shooting herself, and finally Jefferson. Fate finally won she thought. Max couldn't explain all this to her friend, but began to quietly cry as she relived all those horrible moments.

"Oh Em...I'm so sorry for bringing that up. Please don't cry..."

Max crumpled down and Kate guided the broken girl's head down to her lap. She felt the brunette shake a little and the rise and fall of her irregular breathing, but the sounds of her cries were mostly muffled as Max buried her face further into the blonde's leg. Kate stroked Max's hair and said, "Shh shh, oh Em...I'm so sorry..." and let her friend get it out as she lightly stroked Max's back and looked out worriedly into the distance lost in her own thoughts.

Max stopped and was able to return to a calm state after a few minutes. She sat up and wiped her face with a sleeve before saying, as if trying to force conversation back to a normal tone, "I...I forget everything I did between the point I jump back to and the present after a little while after arriving. It's very...confusing to explain. It's worse to go through. I barely understand it."

"You don't need to explain it to me. You don't need to talk about anything...difficult for you. I don't want you doing anything that hurts you."

"I don't want to keep anything from you."

"You don't have to tell me anything you're not ready to talk about. Okay?"

"Yeah...okay."

They were quiet for a little while before Max spoke up.

"So tell me about Lynn."

Kate brightened up with the question and said, "Oh...well, we're very close like I told you. Both of my sisters, really. I love them so much. But Lynn...I think you could say she's the most curious of us. Kind of like you. Smart, always trying to figure out everything."

"You mean nosy?" Max said playfully.

"No...well, yeah. Hmm, what else...Well, right now she's a little obsessed with her Furby. You can control it with an app on your phone. It's kind of creepy actually, but she loves it. She named it Chester."

"Chester... that's cute, why Chester?"

"She said he looked like a Chester."

"Your sister sounds adorable."

"She definitely is."

"I'm not surprised though, she _is_ related to you, after all."

Kate smiled shyly and looked out the window a moment.

Max thought of a question she had to ask once it formed in her mind. She said, "So...what does she think of people like-" Max was about to say "us", but didn't know if Kate would be comfortable with that, so instead she said, "-me?"

"What do you-" she started to say, but then realized what Max meant. "I don't know what she thinks. My parents have really tried to ingrain all the Christian values and beliefs in all of us, but Lynn is always questioning. That's what I love about her." She paused thinking, then said, "There are times where she'll question something from the Bible and my dad will try to explain. She listens, but there are times I'm not sure she agrees. She would never argue with my parents though."

"I'm going to take that as a long way to say it's a hopeful maybe."

"Yeah, I'd say so. If it even comes up."

"I think someday it would, eventually," Max said, waiting to see how Kate would react to her implication that she would be around Kate and involved closely in her life for a significant amount of time.

"Yeah..." Kate said quietly without much confidence.

Max frowned.

"Let's take it one day at a time," Kate said and squeezed the brunette's hand. Max was fairly sure she wasn't talking about Lynn.

_Always in code. I'll take it over nothing, but I wish we could just talk openly, or...maybe not..._

Max was not sure she wanted to face everything Kate would say now. But did "one day at a time" imply there would be more days together after this, but even so...as what? Or could one day become the _last_ day? She was still confused and uncertain about their future. Max decided to try to stop reading too much into everything and just try to make it through the day until the talk, whether she was ready for it or not.

They reached their stop and got out. The school was only a short walk away, but they went at a brisk pace since their lunchtime had just started. The sign, Horizon Academy greeted them as they reached the entrance. When they came in, the office secretary, an older woman with short and curly brown hair, gave a warm smile of recognition seeing Kate.

Kate greeted her with her own bright smile. "Hey, Carol. How have the kids been?"

"Oh, you know. They always get squirrely before a holiday, especially Halloween. We're still keeping them in line though. You have any plans that spooky day?"

"The church has a harvest festival. I usually go to that. I might bring my friend here, Max."

_Kate didn't invite me to that yet. Maybe she will today. Maybe she just did? _

"Oh, I didn't even see that little thing hiding over there. Hello, Max. And how do you know our lovely Kate."

"Oh." Max stepped over to be closer. "We go to school together."

"Another Blackwell student, I see. Wait...is she the one...?"

Max started to wonder anxiously where this was going.

Kate answered the incomplete question though, saying, "The one who saved me, yes. This is Max." She smiled and looked to the brunette.

"I guess that's me," Max sheepishly added.

"Well, roll out the red carpet, welcome to Horizon Academy. If you're Kate's hero, you're our hero too. She does so much to help here." A thought came to the secretary. "You're here for Lynn, aren't you?"

"Just wanted to say hello on her lunch," Kate confirmed.

Carol responded as she picked up the phone, "And here I am, wasting all your time. Let me call her over on the PA."

"It's never wasting time talking to you, Carol."

"You're too kind, sweetie, but let's get her in here."

She pressed some buttons and made the announcement.

"Thanks so much, Carol," Kate said.

"Anytime sweetheart. It was nice to meet you, Max. You're welcome anytime too."

"Oh...thanks. It was nice to meet you too," the brunette said, taken a little off guard by the instant inclusion.

They sat down in chairs until Lynn came through the door on the other side, beeming when she saw her sister, Kate. The girl was different, but similar enough to not question the two as being sisters. Lynn had the same dirty blonde hair, but wore it down. She almost ran and threw herself into a hug with the blonde who seemed to have expected it.

"Kate, you're here!" Lynn said while squeezing her sister tight.

"Hi, Lynn. Yeah, I'm glad we still have most of your lunch to talk. Did you already eat?" she said as they finished their embrace.

"Just got done. Hey, who's that?" Lynn asked, now noticing the brunette waiting a few feet away.

"This is my really good friend, Max."

"The one who saved you?"

Kate didn't seem bothered by the constant reference, but Max felt a little awkward practically being called a hero every time she met someone. The freckled girl wondered if Kate had been talking about her or if they all have been finding out about her through common town knowledge.

"Hi, Lynn," Max said.

The young girl smiled and quickly closed the gap between them to give Max a fierce hug. The brunette looked to Kate with a surprised face as she tentatively returned the embrace. The older sister just grinned.

"Thank you so much for saving Kate. Thank you, thank you."

Max was glad the girl wasn't any stronger. Her grip was surprisingly strong for her size. She got over her initial startle and replied, "Of course, Lynn. I would never let anything happen to your sister."

Lynn let go and wiped a tear that began to fall.

"Oh, little Lynn..." Kate said, seeing her sister become emotional and hugged her from behind.

"You keep calling me that and I'll just grow way taller than you," she said playfully.

Max said, "She'll probably call you large Lynn then, so I would let her be taller."

"I would not call her that!" Kate said smiling.

Lynn laughed.

"So how's school, Lynn?" Max asked.

"It's fine I guess. I wish we could do something for Halloween, but it's not allowed."

"They have some things," Kate tried to point out, but Lynn quickly replied, "That's just harvest stuff. Not the same."

"I know what you mean," Max added.

"See? Max knows."

"I know. It really isn't the same, but it's something," Kate said.

"I guess..." Lynn said, not showing much agreement.

"Oh, while we're here, I need to go to the bathroom. Max will watch you, I'll be right back,"

As Kate walked away, Lynn called back to her, "No one needs to watch me, Kate. I'm ten not two." She turned to Max. "So embarrassing," she said as she rolled her eyes. "Hey," she said shifting her tone. "Did Kate tell you about the boy she likes?"

"The what?" Max spat out, trying to hide her shock.

"The boy. She talks about him all the time."

"Oh? What does she say..."

"Just how she loves being around him, that he makes her feel giddy and all that stuff."

"Oh...how...how long has this been going on?" Max asked.

"A few days, I guess. Do you know anything about him?"

"No, sorry..."

Lynn sighed, but then smiled mischievously before saying, "Don't tell, but I know some clues about him."

"Clues?"

"Yeah, one time I snuck into her bag and found some notes. You know she always writes notes to herself. She's weird, I love her. Anyways, this one said, "Things I love about 'M' and then said stuff like, eyes...smile...hair... umm...laugh... and photos?"

_Oh_ _god..._

Mac clutched her bag, as if she had to keep it covered or her camera would fly out.

Lynn continued. "And then it listed things he says I guess..."

"Wowzer, that's crazy..." Max said before she could stop herself.

Lynn's eyes grew wide and she slowly said, "That's...one of the things..."

Max had no reply and could only stare with alarm, completely giving herself away.

"M..." Lynn said thoughtfully, making a connection.

Just then, Kate came back. Max's attention was glued to Lynn, waiting to see if she would say something. Kate started the conversation again, but Lynn never brought up their talk. She seemed contemplative in the moments where she did not speak. Finally the lunch bell rang and they said their goodbyes.

Before they parted, Kate said, "I almost forgot to mention. Maybe mom and dad told you, but Max is joining us for dinner."

Lynn raised her eyebrows, but then smiled and said sincerely, "That's great," while looking at Max.

"Yeah?" Max questioned.

"Yeah," and Lynn's smile grew even more warm before she gave Max a last firm hug.

"Thanks, Lynn." Max said quietly, eyes watering. She turned away so the blonde would not see. Kate smiled at seeing her sister becoming fast friends with Max, not knowing everything behind their sudden bonding.

"See you soon, Lynn," Kate said.

"Can't wait!" She said cheerfully, smiling at them both, but lastly to Max and skipped off to return to class.

Max watched her go and thanked all the gods for her luck, but especially Kate and Lynn's.


	20. Chapter 20

They left Horizon Academy and were on the way back on the bus once again. Max was starting to really enjoy the rides, only because it gave her an excuse to be close to Kate. With the information from Lynn, she felt a little more bold, despite her fears. She didn't wait for Kate to hold her hand, she took it as soon as they sat. The blonde seemed to be a bit surprised, but her smile told Max it was the good kind. When Max didn't immediately intertwine their fingers, Kate took the lead and was soon doing the same circles as before with her thumb under Max's hidden palm. The brunette fidgeted in her seat, crossing and uncrossing her legs. This only made Kate's palm teasing worse. When Max's leg went back into a normal position for a moment, the blonde wrapped her own leg over her friend's to hold it down. She leaned in and whispered, "You're so wiggly..."

Max replied playfully under her breath as she still fidgeted and looked down, "You're _making_ me wiggly..." The brunette felt the other staring and so turned to face her.

Kate leaned in again and Max could feel the other girl's lips just graze her ear as she whispered, "Good." When she straightened back up, the brunette saw the most subtle mischievous smile, but Kate's eyes were telling her something very different from any kind of silliness.

Max felt somewhere deep inside her twitch and was suddenly very aware they were in a public place. She felt subdued though and was unable to react. The blonde was staring and her expression was now unreadable. Suddenly, something in Kate's eyes changed and she let Max's leg go free and turned to face forward. Her thumb also no longer made contact with the brunette's hand. Max wondered if she had done something wrong, or if she didn't do something right.

After a few moments of silence, Max timidly said, "Kate? ...you okay?"

The blonde seemed startled as if she was just taken out of some train of thought she was stuck in and turned back to Max, looking a little dazed. She then gave an unconvincing smile of reassurance and said, "I'm fine, Max. Just thinking too much about today."

Max couldn't hold it in anymore and said, "About the talk we haven't had?"

Kate's expression turned anxious and startled for a moment, but she quickly recovered and said, "Something like that. I know I am asking you to put up with a lot, to be more patient than you should have to be, but please wait just little longer."

"How _much_ longer?"

Kate hesitated, but said, "Tonight. I promise by tonight."

"So the very end of the day?"

"I guess..."

Max sighed, but said, "Okay," Not hiding her frustration.

Kate quietly said looking towards the other's direction, but downwards, "I'm sorry, Max. I don't like it either. I really don't."

Max could see her distress, like she was caught in between two bad decisions. It hurt her to see Kate suffer in anyway, so she said, "It's okay, Kate." She still felt the seriousness and the blonde's pulling back take away her ability to call her _Katie_. She said the words with sincerity though, because she would make herself be okay with it for Kate. Anything to make things easier for her friend, or whatever she was now.

Kate gave a small smile and leaned into Max. She still seemed to hold some heavy weight on her heart and mind, but was no longer putting Max at a distance, both literally and figuratively. Kate's hand, that did not part from Max's, gave it a squeeze and the motion was returned.

They rode the rest of the way back to Blackwell in silence.

When the two left the bus, they were still not talking. Max could tell something was on Kate's mind, but she didn't want to ask and make it worse. They reached the hall and Kate slowed down, then stopped. She seemed lost in thought.

"Katie?"

Kate almost looked guilty hearing her pet name. She said, "Sorry...I...well...I was thinking...I have some things to do before we go to my parents' and so I'll just go to my room and you can do whatever you need to do. Okay?"

Max didn't like it, didn't expect it, and didn't have anything else to do, but she wanted to be agreeable and didn't want to add to the other's stress, so she said, "Sure, Kate." So much for always staying together, she thought.

She seemed relieved Max did not argue and said, "Great. So, I'll come by around four so we can make it to my parent's in time."

"Okay, I'll be ready."

They looked at each other for an awkward couple of seconds, before Max went for a hug and squeezed her as tight as that first day she burst out of her room. Kate returned the embrace fiercely and said, "I'm coming back, silly Em," She tried to say it jokingly, but there was some emotion behind her words that made her voice waver.

Max pretended not to hear it and said, "I know...I'll still miss you though."

Kate kissed the side of Max's head and said, "Not too much. I'll be back, okay?" repeating her reassurance.

"Okay, okay..." Max said and made her grip tighter for a moment before letting go.

Kate looked at the other with some regret, but squeezed Max's hand once before giving a weak smile and walking away. The brunette watched her until she was out of sight and then went to her own room.

Max played guitar as she waited, trying to make use of her time. A little after four, Kate lightly knocked and opened the door. Max stopped in the middle of playing and put the guitar down.

"Ready?" Kate said, seeming very worried under a thin veil of false confidence.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Max said half jokingly with a nervous smile.

"You'll be great. Don't worry about anything. Let me worry. They'll probably bug you with questions, but that's what they do. They'll be looking to judge me, not you though. Well, my mom, that is. Let me deal with her."

"Okay..."

"Oh, and Max...please eat good, I mean decently. I know you probably don't want me signaling you there, right?"

Max didn't respond right away.

"Max...it's important."

She still didn't say anything, but looked down guiltily.

"For me, Em?"

"Okay, okay okay..." Max relented. She realized Kate knew exactly what to say to make her do anything.

"Thank you...Okay, so...let's go?"

"Yeah, let's go."

The two were back in the bus once again, neither talking almost the whole way. Kate had been the one to initiate the hand holding this time, but it appeared almost more for herself as she stared off anxiously and squeezed Max's hand seemingly without thinking at times. Max grew more nervous.

Out of the silence, Kate said, "My dad offered to pick us up, but I turned him down."

Max looked at Kate expectantly for an explanation, which came as she said, "I wanted more time alone with you before..."

Max gave a brief smile before taking their held hands and putting them in Kate's lap, then resting her head down on top. After a moment, Max felt fingers being put repeatedly through her own dark hair. She sighed with temporary contentment as they continued the last few minutes of their trip.

When they got to the stop, neither seemed in a big hurry. They held hands as they walked, but soon enough, Max knew they were close when Kate disengaged from her. She frowned, but understood.

Coming up to the house, Max thought it _did_ look like the house of a preacher. She was not sure why, but it was clean and impressive, very presentable.

When they reached the door, Max realized how fast her heart was beating. She hoped no one would be able to hear it, because to her it was a drum. A loud drum. Kate gave her one reassuring look before ringing the doorbell.

After a couple seconds, the door opened, and to Max's relief, it was Lynn.

"You guys are here finally!"

"Waiting long for us?" Kate said as she hugged her sister.

"Forever!" Lynn replied and then gave Max an unexpected hug too, which she gladly returned after a second of getting over her startle.

"Hi, Max! So happy to see you again."

Max had to force herself not to cry. She said to Kate, "I know I haven't met your other sister, but this one's my favorite."

"Wow, your friend's really smart, Kate."

Max swore there was almost an undectable hitch in Lynn's voice as she said "wow", as if she was going to say a longer word. Sure enough, when Kate was not looking, the young sister gave Max a mischievous grin.

As they came in, Kate's parents were there, coming to greet them. Max was immediately intimidated just by the sight. Mr. Marsh seemed serious at first, but then his smile softened his expression. He said, "Kate love, welcome home."

"Hi, dad," Kate said smiling and hugging back her dad as he embraced her.

"Kate sweetie," her mother said as she hugged her next. Max noticed Kate almost cringe as she reluctantly accepted her mother's arm circle around her. Max decided there was something fake about the way she was acting with Kate. She wondered if it was just projection from what Kate had told her before.

Both parents quickly turned to Max, who inwardly shrank at the attention. Mr. Marsh spoke first, saying, "This must be the hero that saved our daughter's life." Kate looked a bit embarrassed by the statement, but said nothing. Max tilted her head, bashful and not knowing what to say. Kate spoke up for her after a moment, saying, "You are definitely right. This is Max, the best friend anyone could ask for, and yes, a hero." She smiled back at the brunette.

"Hi," Max managed to say, then added, "So nice to meet you both."

"It's definitely our pleasure, Max. This meeting has been a long time coming," Mrs. Marsh said and then added, "Can I hug you, Max?"

"Uh, sure..." Max said, not really wanting to have the woman even touch her. Her embrace actually felt sincere though, but Max still mentally squirmed. Kate's dad came next and did not try hugging her, but instead extended his hand. When Max put out her hand, he held it between both of his own and said, "Thank you, Max. You don't know what it means to us, what you did. We are forever grateful." Every word seemed heartfelt.

Max was able to reply, saying, "Of course. I would do anything for Kate."

"We're all lucky to have you in her life." After a pause he said, "How about we sit down?"

"Yes, please," Kate said, smiling, but glad to end the attention and reminder of herself on that dark day. She was loving the positive praise her friend was receiving though. "Wait, where's Anne?"

"Good question," Mr. Marsh said looking back into the house. "I'm sure she'll be here in a second."

They all made their way to the living room and found places, Kate's parents siting together on one couch while Max and Kate sat together, Lynn making sure to sit on the other side of Kate so the two friends would be next to each other.

They began to talk again, but Mr. Marsh suddenly stopped the conversation and said, "Sorry, just a moment." He stepped over near the doorway towards the stairs and shouted in a friendly but firm tone, "Anne honey, your sister and her friend are here. Come down please!"

A few seconds later, the sister appeared. The girl appeared to be around fifteen years old with the same long facial structure as her father. She was in the similar motif as her family with conservative clothing she would expect to see at church, but still stylish. Anne awkwardly fiddled with her glasses and seemed not to know what to do with herself. Max wondered if she was always like this, but then saw the girl look directly at her with an analyzing concern. Max was instantly filled with a horrifying fear and looked over to Lynn, who looked guiltily away.

_No..._

Anne walked over and chose the sofa seat that was farthest from Max. She sat quietly until her dad spoke up and said, "Don't be rude honey, say hello. This girl saved your sister."

This seemed to have awoken something else in Anne who shifted her demeanor slightly as she said, "Hi...um, thank you for saving Kate. I...don't know what we'd do without her." She looked away with what appeared to be guilt to Max, but shyness to almost everyone else.

"Hi, Anne. Nice to meet you," Max said, trying to sound as pleasant as possible while hiding the dread she held back from showing on her face.

Mrs. Marsh spoke up and said, "Well, now that we are all here, let's make our way to the table. I'll bring out an appetizer to get us started."

They all followed her to the dining room, another maticiously decorated part of the house. Mrs. Marsh continued walking through the room and into the kitchen. Mr. Marsh had a hand on Kate's shoulder and was talking to her as they went in. Hanging back before entering the dining room, Max stayed barely around a corner and listened as the two younger sisters spoke. She could only make out parts of it when either one talked louder.

"She...(murmuring) her happy," Lynn was fiercely whispering.

"But...(murmuring) it wrong?" Anne questioned.

"(murmering) isn't wrong..."

"But...(murmuring) and dad say-"

"(murmuring) can't understand, they (murmuring) know what (murmuring and more murmuring then a pause)...(murmuring) needs us," Lynn said quietly, but firmly.

"Okay," Anne whispered and then there was silence.

They appeared to be done and Max knew she better get into the dining room before she was caught. She tried to swiftly find a place to pretend she was at for the last few seconds, which ended up being at the corner of the table behind a chair. Kate and her dad stopped talking and turned back to her, seemingly not aware she just walked in.

"Max, you can sit right there if you want."

"Oh, thanks..." She still waited for him to sit first, but hen pulled out a seat beside Max for Kate and pushed it in for her as she sat down.

"If you'll allow me?"

"Oh sure, thank you," Max said and let him do the same for her. It felt weird for him to do, maybe outdated, but she appreciated the gesture.

"We're good, dad," Lynn said as both her and Anne sat before he could offer. He just smiled and gave a slight shrug.

Mrs. Marsh returned with a plate of fancy looking crackers and brie cheese. She placed it on the table and said, "Get started with these and I'll finish up the chicken." She turned to Max and said, "I should have asked Kate if you were vegetarian or vegan, but if not, I thought chicken was pretty safe."

"Oh, yeah...I mean no, I'm not vegan or anything. Chicken sounds good."

Mrs. Marsh smiled and it was becoming a little harder to dislike her, but Max reminded herself what Kate said about the woman. Mrs. Marsh said, "Good good. And there's mushrooms too, but nothing much else most people have strong opinions on."

"Still sounds great to me," Max said.

"Okay then, I will be right back," Mrs. Marsh said before returning to the kitchen.

As they picked at the cheese and crackers, Mr. Marsh said, "So, girls...anyone have any good news to share today?"

Lynn leaned over the table to Max and said, "He always does this, but you don't have to if you don't want to."

"Lynn..." Kate chastised.

"Well, she doesn't..." saying defensively, though in a tone knowing she may have been lacking tact.

"It's okay, Kate. She's right. No one is forced to, but I do love hearing what's going on in my daughters' lives."

"No, it's okay," Max began. "I'll start." She cleared her throat and said, "I'm glad to be here with such a warm and welcoming family. I can see where Kate gets her awesome personality."

Kate tried to turn away to hide her blushing and Mr. Marsh smiled, saying, "Well thank you, Max. I really do appreciate that."

Anne bit her lip a moment, seeming to be wrestling with something in her mind. Max tried not to focus too much on her, but she was very aware of her every move and expression.

"Me next!" Lynn said cheerfully. "I think it's great that Max is here. I've decided she's the best of all Kate's friends."

Max smiled at Lynn and said, "Thanks Lynn, you're pretty awesome yourself." She paused and took a risk, saying, "I hope I get a chance to get to know your other sister too. I'm sure Anne's just as great as both of you."

Anne looked like a deer in the headlights for a moment and then a flash of guilt went through her before she managed to speak and said, "Oh...um, thanks. No, these two are probably more awesome, but still...thanks."

Max felt the middle sister warm up a little, but her walls were still up too.

Mr. Marsh spoke up, saying, "Oh, come on now Anne. You are the glue that holds this family together."

Lynn burst out, "I thought I was the glue!?"

He smiled and said, "You all are. But Anne, you're too smart to short change yourself. I don't know why you seem so down today. Are you getting sick?"

Anne looked a little alarmed that he noticed something was off about her and said quickly, "Yeah, maybe...I hope not though."

"Hmm, yes. Hopefully not," Mr. Marsh said, pondering.

Mrs. Marsh came out then with a plate of chicken and mushrooms. She placed it down and then went right back to grab bread which she also placed on the table along with a pitcher of water.

Max saw everyone bow their heads and so did the same. Mr. Marsh said, "Thank you lord for always providing and thank you to the hands that prepared this meal. We also thank you for bringing Max into our daughter's life and allowing us all to enjoy each other's company today. Amen." He then turned to the brunette and said, "Max, go ahead. Guests first."

Max took a small piece of chicken and nothing else, until Kate gave her a side long stare and so she grabbed some bread too. This seemed to satisfy the blonde for now. No more signals were given.

Everyone else took turns getting their food and pretty soon, all the Marshes and Max were eating and chatting. At one point, Anne said, almost to herself, "Wait...isn't she the one in the news..."

More than one person looked a little alarmed at her question, but Kate was the one who spoke up, saying, "Anne!" admonishing her sister.

Max quickly cut in and said, "No, Kate. It's okay. Let her ask whatever she wants. I'm okay with it." The truth is she was not, but if this opened up the sister to talk more, maybe she could continue to get more on her good side.

"Well..." Anne began. "...is it true...I mean...I heard you were there when...that girl...passed away?"

Her parents seemed a little nervous for Max's reaction though not as much as Kate. Max replied though.

"Yes...I was there when it happened." Max was quickly becoming melancholic, but was able to stay stable as she continued. "The girl was not just a girl though. She was my...good friend, Chloe."

"Yes, we all heard about her,  
Rachel Amber before her and later Nathan Prescott of all people," Mr. Marsh said.

Mrs. Marsh chimed in, "That poor Chloe girl. She was on a bad path. It's too bad no one could help her in time. It's no wonder she got mixed up in all that with those horrible influences. The drugs and her deviant lifestyle. Her and that Rachel Amber were together they say. What foolish choices. I'm sure the parents just coddled them and let them live that way. There's too much of a lack in values these days."

Mrs. Marsh was so deep into her own rant that she did not notice Max propping her head up, just as an excuse to partially cover her face so that no one would see the tears coming down. Her other hand was down below the table, shaking beside herself. Mr. Marsh and Anne gave Mrs. Marsh's soapbox speech their attention, but Lynn looked over to Max with concern and Kate did the same, but even more so. Her worry quickly transformed into anger and she could not contain herself anymore.

"What would you have her family do?"

Mrs. Marsh did not yet detect the tenseness as it built up within Kate. She simply responded, saying, "The parent should have put her in line way before this. Either you follow the rules of the house and the Lord's house or you don't belong in that house. Kids are so ungrateful for discipline these days but it's what they need. If she were my daughter, I would have set her straight right away, um, so to speak." She seemed slightly amused at her unplanned pun, but this, along with Max's tears now visibly hitting the table, made Kate snap.

She rose her voice slightly and said, "Oh would you?" Her mother looked to her with eyebrows raised, never hearing Kate speak like this, but before she could respond, Kate shocked her beyond her wildest nightmares, shouting, "I'd like to see you try!"

At first everyone just became quiet and unmoving. Mrs. Marsh seemed confused, but then gathered what Kate implied and said, "No..." She shook her head. "Not you...It's not true...right?"

"What do you think, _mother_?" Kate said, spitting out the last word with disgust.

Mrs. Marsh just stared back in continual shock, holding her breath, but when the next breath came, she said, "Come here right now. We are talking. Alone."

Kate's expression grew more angry and her mother's response was to bark out, "Now!" Mrs. Marsh started walking towards her and pointed to the study across the way, it's entrance visible from the dining room. Kate maintained her furious gaze, but stood up and went ahead of her mother towards the study. No one else spoke.

The two went in the room and Kate's mother closed the door behind them. Lynn spoke right after, softly saying, "Max? Are you okay?" She kept her face hidden and did move. Lynn asked again, "Max?" The brunette shook her head slightly.

Anne could only watch it all unfold with a horrible feeling of guilt for starting the conversation. Mr. Marsh spoke up after a few moments, saying, "When they get back, we'll all have a good talk. We just need to wait a little longer..." He mostly hid his apprehension.

The voices started to get louder in the study until finally Mrs. Marsh could be heard shouting, "You are not my daughter!" Then a slap sounded, followed by sobbing. Kate burst out of the door holding her face.

Max had looked toward the sound of the shouting and seeing the devastated girl come out, she whispered out loud to herself, "No...Kate...no..." Then unleashed a scream, crying, "No!" Everyone stared in shock as her hand went up, and her vision became blurry. Everything stopped for a moment, but then began reversing until Kate was back inside the study and the shouting had not yet started.

Max slowly let her hand fall down. Her eyes were wide with alarm and a devastating thought formed in that moment. The freckled girl knew almost immediately what this meant. She would have to choose between trying to go back for Chloe and erasing everything she had with Kate, or letting Chloe stay gone, even though she could continue to try and change her fate. Max could not handle it.

The brunette flung her plate down, shattering it across the floor as she again screamed while weeping, "No!" She took the plate beside her own and swung it against the wall with another shriek, the shattered pieces falling all around. The remaining family members could not understand what was driving Max to do this and stayed frozen, except for Mr. Marsh who could only stand up and watch to make sure this girl only harmed things and not his family.

Max fell down in uncontrollable sobs. Before anyone could get close, she rose her hand again and reversed time once more, to the same time she had before. She could not stop her own crying, but got up again, only to smash her plate once more, this time with her own fists as she left it on the table, screaming, "Fuck!" One of her hands were cut, but she did not react. She only bow her head and sobbed more. She sensed someone coming near and shouted, "Stay back!" Blood did not just drip from her hand, but also her nose. She saw a drop come down and wiped it to find the smear of red liquid streak across her hand. She lifted her hand one more time and returned time to just before the shouting again.

Max sat up and went straight to the study.

"Max..." Mr. Marsh began, but she ignored him. The shouting began as she started to reach the door. Max swung it open as Mrs. Marsh shouted for a third time, "You are not my daughter!" and then grabbed the older woman's arm, just as it began to be lift up for the slap.

Mrs. Marsh, both shocked and enraged, turn to see who gripped her arm.

Max said with gritted teeth, "Don't you fucking touch her, you piece of shit for a mother."

The older woman looked even more furious and snapped, "Let go of me!" She was horrified at the bloody hand that held her and then to the blood dripping down Max's nose. Mrs. Marsh spat accusingly, "What are you, some kind of druggy? Think you can just come into my house and corrupt my children!" She tried to shake off the girl's grip, but the brunette did not relent.

Max did not break eye contact, but first ignored the statements. She said with an eery calm, "Kate, wait for me by the door."

"But..."

Now Max looked at her. "You need to trust me right now. Do you trust me?"

Kate could only nod with tears falling down her face.

"Then please, Kate, please...wait by the door. I'll be right there."

She nodded again and looked once with fear and hurt to her mother, before leaving the room.

Max was being fueled by the decision she still did not want to face with the return of her powers. The anguish she felt was honed to a focused fury, a way to become who she needed to be right now to defend Kate.

The brunette spoke in a calm but sinister tone that sent chills down the woman's spine. "_Druggy_? I'll make you _wish_ I was a druggy. You have _no_ idea what kind of girl _I_ _am_ and what I can _do_ to you. Now..." Max thought for a moment. "...do what I say, or you will find out exactly what I mean." The more Max spoke, the more the older woman felt the fierceness emanating from this slight girl. It disturbed the woman to her core. Max continued as Mrs. Marsh could only stay still and listen.

"If you can't be a decent mother to Kate, then leave her alone. Don't you dare try to speak to her and if you dare even _think_ about slapping her again, if you _touch_ her, I will make sure it is the last thing you do."

Max had started pulling the woman closer so that by the end she was face to face with her. She finished with, "Understand?"

Mrs. Marsh barely whispered out, "O...kay..." just to end the situation.

Max felt her intensity fade and she released the older woman. Feeling done, she simply walked out. She saw Lynn watching in the doorway before the young girl darted away. Max grabbed a cloth napkin and held it to her bleeding hand, taking it with her as she reached the door. Anne was awkwardly standing to the side in the front room and Mr. Marsh was nearby Kate, talking to her.

"You're bleeding..." Kate said as soon as she saw Max.

"I'm fine," the brunette said softly. She came up next to her and looked at her with a loving compassionate stare before turning to Mr. Marsh. She said to him, not wasting time getting to the point, "So...what are you going to do? Can you accept Kate for who she is?"

Mr. Marsh looked like a man in turmoil. He said, "Max, I was just telling Kate that I will always love her, but...you know what I do, what we believe. I can accept her, but not this way of life."

Kate softly whimpered at this and Mr. Marsh looked back to her, pain in his eyes. "Kate, I will always love you. I want to help you. Help you get over this. It's not you. I know who you are."

When Max saw Kate still paralyzed in anguish, she spoke for her, saying quietly, "No...you _don't_ know her." She took Kate's hand. "Let's go Kate." The blonde girl said nothing but let Max guide her out the door. The brunette shared a sad look with Anne and Lynn who had reappeared.

Mr. Marsh pleaded, "Kate, wait. Please stay. We can still talk about this!"

Max stood outside with Kate, holding the door handle as she said, "I think you've said enough. If you love her, please don't follow us," before closing the door behind them. She had to get Kate back to Blackwell, now the blonde's home more than ever. From there, she had no idea what to do.


	21. Chapter 21

Max firmly but gently pulled Kate along as she guided her to the bus stop. On the way, the blonde seemed almost in a comatose state. She probably would have just stood in place, staring off to no where if Max had left her. The brunette rubbed the drying blood away from under her nose, her actions unnoticed by the other. When they reached the stop, Max sat the blonde down on the bench. Sitting beside Kate, she immediately put the dazed girl's hand over her own and interlocked their fingers.

When Max took off the cloth napkin to put it down, she winced, causing the blonde glance down for a moment. She used her free hand to hold Max's wounded one and carefully turned it until the cut was in sight. She gasped, now clearly coming out of her fugue state.

"Max, your hand..." Her fingers hovered just above the cut, an at least inch long incision along the side of her palm.

"Don't worry, I think the bleeding stopped."

Kate still look up to Max with concern and said, "What happened?"

"I just...got angry and hurt myself...accidentally. Please, don't worry about me. I promise I'll be okay. Let me take care of you now."

Max put her hand on Kate's cheek. The blonde closed her eyes and let her head dip down until it rested on the brunette's shoulder. She slipped back into numbness, having the other's permission. She barely noticed Max's hand come down from her face to hold her close.

When the bus came, Kate needed to be helped inside. Not a word was said on the way back, but Max found herself in the reversal role of before, with Kate's head in her lap, her own fingers now running through blonde hair. It was not enough, Max thought. She had to get her back to where they could talk openly. That is, if Kate would want to or even be able to speak again tonight.

Finally getting to Kate's room, Max got them straight into bed. She lay Kate down and took off her shoes, holding the first foot she exposed for a moment, unable to not pause at the preciousness of its small size. Once done, she took off her own shoes and lay beside the blonde. Max looked to Kate who stared off with her head on the pillow.

"Katie?" Max almost whispered.

Now safe in her room, with enough time to get over her shock, this was all that was needed to make Kate fall apart. Her eyes closed as she sobbed.

Max put her own head close as she stroked the other's face, trying to mimic the sounds she had heard from Kate before.

"Shh, shh, Katie...I'm here...I'll always be here..."

She would not tell her that it would be okay. Max did not think Kate wanted to hear that, if she would even believe it right now. Despite her caution, the words only seemed to make Kate's cries worse, so Max just moved to put her body against the blonde's. The freckled girl then wrapped her arm around the other and cautiously slipped a leg between both of the other's, which was allowed without hesitation. Max felt Kate work frantically to mold their bodies together. The devastated girl held the brunette fiercely and sobbed more uncontrollably than ever. Max felt her own tears come, feeling helpless to do anything more for Kate. She hated seeing the anguish on the blonde's face, but Max did not turn away. This girl's pain was her pain. She would share it as much was possible. Max was not given much chance to keep her gaze though as Kate soon buried her head into her neck.

It was a long while before the blonde stoped crying. At some point after that, she fell asleep. Only after several minutes of certainty did Max allow herself to close her eyes and join the other in slumber. They stayed wrapped around each other for all of the night.

It was not yet dawn though, when Max woke up with a start. Kate slightly stirred, but did not wake yet. There was a second of disorientation before the brunette recalled the image that woke her. It was not the same, not Jefferson this time, but something else. Then it became clear. It was the totem pole at Blackwell that students called the Tobanga. She recalled the faces seemed to be staring at her, beckoning her to do something, but she did not know what they wanted. Her previous apprehension of the mysterious Native American relic during the week with Chloe was now multiplied. She was not sure if this was better than being woken by Jefferson. At least she understood _that_ fear.

Kate did slowly wake and so Max began to move strands of blonde hair away and stroke her face, slowly forgetting her nightmare. Kate's eyes fluttered open and when Max was in focus, she smiled slightly.

_Is this a good sign, or has last night not come back to her yet? _

A thought seemed to come to Kate. Her face lost all emotion and her voice matched, confirming her fear, as Kate said, "What happened...last night, what happened with...my mother...?"

"She was...going to do something and I had to stop her..."

"Do something..." Kate pondered out loud. "Wait, how could you know in the other room..."

"Kate...I have to tell you something..." She couldn't hide this from her.

"What is it..." The fear showed plainly in her locked gaze.

"I...uh...rewound."

Kate stared at her blankly as if she didn't hear her.

"Katie?" Max squeaked.

"What do you mean..."

"You know...I told you..."

"You rewound time? You actually went back in time?"

"To stop your mother! I just reached out...it was...like instinct. I had no idea I would ever be able to do that again, that I would do it that night, until it...just happened."

Kate was very thoughtful for a few quiet seconds and then said evenly, "Show me." There was a trace of fear in her gaze.

Max was first surprised at the request, though then thought she should have expected it. She scrunched her mouth to the side trying to first decide if she should, then choosing to do it, wondered how to prove herself without question. A thought came.

Max said, "Tell me the first thing you thought when you met me."

It was Kate's turn to be taken aback, but she slowly said with some embarrassment, "I...umm, well...it's going to sound so cheesy, but...I thought...that your eyes were so beautiful that I could just...look into them forever."

Max turned red. It took her a moment to reply.

"Umm good. That's good. That will work. Now let's do this," the brunette said trying to sound confident.

She put her hand up and focused. Time pulled back just enough.

Kate again asked, "Show me."

"Okay...if I told you I know what you were thinking when we first met, would that prove it to you?" She had to ask.

"I guess so...I never told you or anyone that."

"Do you still think my eyes are beautiful, Katie? Do you still want to look into them forever?"

Kate's mouth opened slightly, then closed. She said, "How did you..." She caught herself before asking the question, accepting the truth. "It _is_ real...I knew it...but now I...I guess I really know...and now...you have your powers back..." she seemed to be pondering something.

"Katie?"

"Oh, sorry Em. I was...um, lost there for a second. I...my feelings haven't changed."

Max had to take this opportunity. It was not the right time last night, but now it felt right. The freckled girl bent her head to guide her lips to those of the beautiful blonde she held so close. A flash of shock and alarm came before Kate turned her head away to avoid the kiss.

Max looked back with hurt and confusion. She began to speak frantically.

"B-but...why, Kate? What's wrong?"

Kate had pulled away and was staring at the bed.

Max continued questioning while sitting up as the blonde did. "What is it? What...what else could it be? Are you just confused? You don't really want this? Want me?"

Kate turned her head and that's when Max saw the tears filling her eyes. The blonde spoke in a strained voice, saying, "Is that what you think?" She moved her hand to cover Max's and said with rising emotion, "I'm not afraid to hold you Em, to kiss you. It was the hardest thing to not keep kissing you, to not kiss you right now..." She bit her lip and looked down for a moment before continuing.

"You think I have been avoiding boys because of my religion? That has always, for as long as I can remember, been my perfect excuse. I started the abstinence meetings just to...solidify it and keep all boys away. I have no idea why I did that at the Vortex party. But I know exactly what I want. I thought I could just...avoid girls too, to make my faith still work...until I met you...until...things just happened. My thoughts about you would send me straight to hell. In for a penny in for a pound, right?"

Kate went on fiercely speaking her words with heartfelt passion. "I would give up my family, m-my faith, risk my very soul, everything, I would would leave _everything_ for you," she paused and said, "and I _have_...and that would be okay because I would have you...that's why last night happened...because I had to know...I had to know how I'd feel without my family holding me back..."

Max was barely able to make herself ask, "But...how could you know that would happen?"

Kate frowned. "I had a plan...I was going to make it happen, had my exact words chosen, but...then my mother said those horrible things...the plan changed."

Max shook her head and looked painfully back to the other, saying, "I still don't understand..."

Kate's face displayed her turmoil as she pulled her hand off Max's. The blonde girl knew that she was about to answer the unasked question that had plagued Max all this time, would reveal what hung there everytime the brunette felt confused and doubtful of Kate's feelings, the answer that would explain _everything_.

The blonde was renewed with determination but her voice still wavered under the weight of her emotions. She said, "I thought I would be okay with this after last night...but I still can't...I...I just can't be your second choice. I can't live in _her_ shadow."

Max shook her head and cried out, "No, no Kate it's not like that!"

"But it is. It _is_, Max. I know you went to her house again without telling me."

Max flashed a look of guilt but said nothing. Kate continued, saying, "And your song for her isn't saying goodbye, it's wanting her back, it's about trading the whole town for her. I never told you, but you..." She looked down. "...you still call out for her in your dreams."

"But...that doesn't mean anything...that's not my fault!" Max pleaded about her dreams, unable to defend the song.

Kate shook her head. "It doesn't have to be anyone's fault. It just...is. I don't hate you for it. You have to know...it doesn't change how I feel about you..._nothing_ will change that." Her resolve almost seemed to slip and the intensity left her voice, but she still quietly said, "But... I can't do this." Her face hardened once again like a wall of protection.

"No Kate...please..." Max felt desperate but did not know what to say. She looked all around as if she could find the answers somewhere in the room, then whimpered, "Don't I ever deserve to be happy again!?" She cried out.

Kate's gaze immediately softened and gave her pained look. Max could see the struggle in her face.

"I-" She swept a confused gaze around, avoiding Max's stare. "Of course...of course you do, Max," she said guiltily in a quiet voice. Kate lost all her forcefulness.

Max pressed her advantage and let everything she had left be exposed, baring all. "I love you Kate! I love you with everything I have! Isn't that enough?

"N-no..." Her voice shook. "Th-that's not fair. You don't get to just say that right now."

"But I do, I _do_ love you," Max said more calmly with tenderness.

"I _know_ you do!" They shared a knowing look as their rapid breaths filled the silence in between their words.

Max still had to ask. "And what about you...w-what about you, Katie?"

Kate struggled to stay firm and keep her guard up but fell apart.

"Max, n-no..._Em_." Her face turned angry for a moment as she corrected herself, then became full of yearning as she declared, "My sweet Em, I love you more than anything!" Her expression had revealed her true feelings, but her anguish returned as she said, "But I still can't! You can jump back into one of your photos now. You can save her and it will be like this all never happened. I _wish_ you _were_ crazy. I wish we _both_ were because knowing this is true is the last thing I want to be sure about. You were my constant...now I have nothing."

Max shook her head rapidly and said without allowing a second to think about it, "I would never do that!" She had still not let herself even consider what she would do next, with her powers back.

"Won't you? How couldn't you? I won't even have the memory left, will I? Maybe it's better this way because I don't know how I can feel like this much longer, so just do it, please do it so this all will end. Erase it, erase us...I don't even know how it really works, but i can't take it anymore...but...I hope at least you remember what we had...will you? Wait, no, don't tell me...I don't want to know if this will be gone forever...I really don't...God help me, it hurts too much..."

"But I won't do that, I-"

"Even if I believed you, how can I ever know you won't change your mind? It will just hang over me...forever."

"Wh...what can I do to convince you? Please Katie, give me a chance. Please!?"

Kate shook her head and cried. "I can't...please...please just go...it hurts too much seeing you...I'm too weak...you have to go..."

"But, Katie-"

"Just go!" Kate shouted.

Max's eyes widened and she was made speechless by the other's intensity.

Kate became suddenly quiet as she said shakily, "If you care about me, please just go. It's killing me, please..." Her tears were dripping down on the bed as she looked down, unable or unwilling to face Max.

The words hit the brunette hard. She would do anything for Kate. She would give up her own happiness for her. Max wanted to fight for her, but in this moment, she knew that anything she did would be too great of a risk. She would not break her Katie for her own selfishness.

Max used every fiber of willpower she had and made herself get off the bed. She got to the doorway and hesitated. The freckled girl stared a moment at Kate who now was laying down again with her hands covering her face as she curled up into herself. Max then said softly with hurt ringing through, "I love you, Katie," before leaving the room.


	22. Chapter 22

Max started down the hall, but ended up walking past her own room. She couldn't stay so close to Kate right now. Getting to the building's exit, the brunette walked out, not knowing where she was going. When she came outside, Max saw dawn had just begun and no one was around yet, at least not nearby. She mindlessly followed a path and tried desperately to think of how she could convince Kate she would not destroy everything they had. Max thought more about it and racked her brain in agony. She realized she was not sure that she could keep her promise. She wanted to somehow save Chloe and still be with Kate. She would not let her mind think about _being_ _with_ her late friend, just saving her. There was no possible way to do both though without needing to redo everything with Kate and there was no assurance that all would turn out the same or even good at all. She wondered if fate or whatever it was would even let her.

When Max's thoughts became stuck, she stopped moving. She found herself standing near some trees and a figure came out behind one, startling her.

"Oh fuck, Samuel! You scared me."

"Samuel did not mean to surprise, but when I saw you I could tell you were looking for me."

"Well, not really...sorry..." Max looked around and saw they were alone. She wasn't afraid of Samuel, but some of the things he had said disturbed her. He seemed to know more than he should.

"Oh? Samuel's mistake. I am always the only one out at these early hours. You do have questions though, I can see. Something making you walk without looking, staring without seeing?"

"Yeah...I guess I'm not hiding it very well."

"I don't think you're trying to hide, you're trying to find. Max, do you know any rabbits?"

"What?" Max said shakily. He just kept staring so she answered to stop the silent gaze, saying, "Yes...Alice."

"Alice? Isn't she the one who _chased_ the rabbit? And they both ended up in the same place. The rabbit should have just stayed and not worried about being being late. But you still have to chase the rabbit if it runs...don't you? And it's not too late for you, Max."

"Wh-wha...what?" the brunette said worried he knew her exact thoughts.

"You can still become friends with the tobanga."

This was almost more alarming. Though he mentioned it before in a past conversation, suddenly bringing it up now made it seem as if he knew her dreams, her nightmares. He continued, saying, "It's a good time, right before it sleeps and before others are awake."

"It's...alive?"

"Life is a relative term. Better you go see it and decide yourself."

She tried to hide how disturbed the conversation was making her feel. "Umm...thanks Samuel..."

"Samuel is just here to help." He started to suddenly walk off, to her relief, but turned around after a couple steps and said over his shoulder, "You know, Max, it's lucky you didn't have to choose. The squirrels were worried what you would do."

Max could only stare blankly as he turned forward again, away from her while walking back towards the main campus. When he started moving, he spoke one final sentence as an afterthought, saying, "Oh, and don't forget to meet your rabbit at the tea party." Then he was soon gone.

She thought over everything he said, and shook her head, not wanting to connect the dots and accept that he knew so much and what that would mean. She instead looked in the distance and saw it, saw the tobanga. Telling herself she would not go near it, Max still found she was stepping towards the totem. Something was compelling her, despite her fear. When she was within several yards of the the tobanga, she stopped. It was then she became aware of how rapid her breathing had become and how fast her heart was beating. She was going to turn away when she heard a voice, not anywhere around her, but inside her mind.

_Max..._came a very faint feminine whisper.

Barely able to hear it, she could not recognize who the voice belonged to, but something told her that it came from the tobanga, despite hearing it in her head. The voice sounded gentle and warm. This pushed her to walk closer to the ominous totem.

Her eyes stayed locked on it as she closed the gap, as if waiting to see if it made any move against her, whatever that would look like. As ridiculous as her worry seemed, Max knew it was dangerous, powerful.

She stopped a few feet away and let out a long held in breath. There was silence now. She ventured a spoken word.

"H...hello?"

There was a sudden flash of light. The sun coming up over the hills? Max guessed in a brief moment, but that didn't seem right, the illumination seemed to come from nearby. Whatever it was, it blinded her and the brunette stumbled where she stood, trying to brace herself from what felt like an attack. She fell on the ground and put her arms over her head to protect herself, but nothing happened. Max risked peeking out and the sky was dark again, the stars were bright above her. She stared up in confusion and slowly stood. When she looked forward, in front of the tobanga was Rachel Amber.

"Oh shit!" Max said out loud and put her hands to her face in her shock, then said as she put her hands back down, "But you're..."

She nodded.

"Am I..."

Rachel shook her head and smiled.

Max bit nervously at her lip and asked with some melancholy, "Rachel...I'm so sorry we were too late..." She looked at her guiltily.

The silent girl frowned, but then smiled, like a parent would to a child when they were pretending everything was fine and they were in control. Max wanted to approach Rachel to see her better, to check how real she was up close, but was too afraid to move.

The brunette was waiting for the other to speak, but she remained quiet too, so Max filled the eery silence and asked, "W-why are you here...why...how can I see you?"

Max started to wonder if she was asleep. She had never been this lucid before though. It felt much more than a dream. It was different, but most similar to the vision she had in class about the hurricane.

Rachel tilted her head, considering, then shrugged.

"Wait...why are you not talking anymore? Can you talk?"

Rachel shook her head.

"But I heard you..."

Rachel again shook her head.

"I heard someone...Chloe," Max said in realization.

"Is she here?"

Rachel gave a nod.

"Where...?" Max's heart picked up again as she looked around.

Rachel flourished her hands as if saying _everywhere_ around them.

"But...why can I see you, but not her?"

Rachel frowned and looked to the side.

Max thought for a moment and said, "I would probably lose my shit and she knows it. It's bad enough with you, um, no offense."

Rachel nodded as if she guessed exactly right and then shrugged, seemingly as an allowance of Max's anxiety over this unexpected encounter.

"So...Chloe...can she hear me?"

Rachel nodded with a pitying smile.

"Will...will she talk to me?"

Rachel looked sadly back at her and made a face of uncertainty and tilted her head slightly.

Max frowned, but forced herself to be determined, even if it was a fragile effort. Max whimpered. "Ch-Chloe...?" She still looked around trying to sense where she might be, if anywhere. "God, I miss you...I fucking miss you so much...I...I tried, I really tried for you. And now..." she trailed off hesitantly.

She expected to hear nothing and for a second there _was_ just silence, but then Chloe's voice was heard all around her, speaking more calm and sweetly than she ever remembered hearing, but it was her. Max felt Chloe's presence as she spoke sadly, but with understanding, saying, "I know, Max...I know."

Just hearing the sound of her voice, now clearly, broke her down and Max was sobbing and her legs became weak. She collapsed down onto her knees with her hands flat on the wet grass and bowed her head down low as she wept.

"I'm so sorry Chloe, I'm so sorry..."

Her tears continued to fall down as she cried uncontrollably. All of a sudden she felt a presence come close. Max flinched away and looked up. Rachel had crouched down and was looking concerned at her, with a hand out toward Max, but not touching.

Max looked at the girl who seemed as real as herself and thought a moment about touching the hand that reached out, but decided against it. She instead went with a thought that came to her and said, "I need to go back and try again. Maybe I can save you both somehow...but...I can't erase Kate...wait...do you even know about Kate?"

Rachel nodded.

"Of course you do...probably watching all the time..."

Rachel smiled and shook her head.

"Oh...okay." Still kneeling with hands supporting herself, Max paused, then returned to what she was saying with a look of guilt. "I...I can't just erase all we have...what do I do?"

Rachel just returned to a look of pity and shook her head.

"There's no way to do both, is there?" She looked around and said, "Chloe?" asking her as well, but Rachel answered, closing her eyes and gave one shake of her head to confirm the brunette's guess. The last shred of hope to come out of this without living with some kind of pain was destroyed, even though she expected the answer. There was some silence and then Max had another thought and quietly asked, "You loved her, didn't you?"

Rachel looked again at her and nodded, looking into her eyes with an intense sincerity.

"I know she loved you." She looked around, but heard nothing.

Rachel gave a slight smile.

Max spoke even more hushed, trying to only speak to Rachel, but guessing Chloe probably could still hear her. "Is it...is um, is it wrong to feel how I did...how I still feel about her?"

Rachel shook her head and looked compassionately back to Max.

Max let out a short whimpering cry of relief, being ready for her feelings to be disapproved, but also gave a shaky smile, grateful for Rachel's response.

"At least...at least we found you, right? Chloe didn't..." Max could say the word. "...didn't go...before knowing. I'm not sure, but I want to think it was a good thing...maybe the whole reason..." She did not finish the thought out loud as she looked down in contemplation.

Max spoke louder, asking both Rachel and Chloe, "But then why did my powers come back? Is it for something else, or is this my last chance?" She was looking up as she spoke, then turned back to Rachel, but the girl was not there anymore. Her isolation made her realize that Chloe had only spoken once since saying her name.

"Chloe?...Chloe!?"

Suddenly there was another flash of light and, in that moment, Max saw Chloe kneeling at her side with a hand to her face. She felt the touch of the other's fingers on her cheek and could see Chloe's tender expression. After the flash ended in that brief second, Max found herself lying on the ground, just beside the tobanga. The sun had fully risen past the horizon.

Max scrambled to crawl back away from the totem. Her breaths were rapid as she stared apprehensively at the tobanga. She then remembered the moment in the flash and moved a couple feet back towards the totem as she screamed out, "Chloe!?"

There was no response and Max no longer felt her late friend's presence, only the tobanga's ominous energy almost pulsing in front of her. Nothing was happening, but she felt a paralyzing fear. She made herself get up and walked away slowly, glancing back several times before picking up her pace. On the way to the dorms, Max tried to figure out what it all meant, if anything at all. It felt too real to ignore.

When she reached her room, she paused, then opened it and was partly relieved but also disappointed to find it empty. Max sat on her bed a long while, staring off. She chewed at her lip in thought before taking out her phone. Going to Kate within her texts, she again did nothing for a while. Max just stared at the empty text box space, ready for her message. After several moments, she growled at herself and started typing.

**Max: **Plz meet me at Hot Spot tonight at 7. I need to talk to you.

She waited a while before sending it, changing it several times before finally committing to one version and pressing the blue arrow. For a moment she waited for a response, but then said, "Fuck it," before grabbing her bag and leaving.

Back in her room, Kate saw the text. She had been going back and forth in her head on what to do. Part of her was regretful and the other wanted to protect herself. Kate looked at it for a moment after it came, still going through the same thoughts, then took in a deep breath before responding.

**Kate: **Okay. I will be there.

Both of their responses felt cold, despite allowing for the lack of tone in texts. Kate nervously bit her lip. She paced around the room a while before deciding she would just go to The Hot Spot now and wait for her, even though she had hours still to go. Kate was about to just leave, but decided to make sure she would look nice, telling herself it was for her own sake, but knowing that was a lie.

Kate reached the cafe several minutes later. When she came in, she was shocked to see Max there already too. She wasn't alone though. The brunette sat at a table with another girl. Kate slunk back to hide and watch them.

The other girl was stylish and gorgeous, maybe just a little older. She had the side of her head shaved, with the rest being a medium length, slightly curly dark hair with highlights in the front. She had a septum nose ring along with more than a few earrings. Her attire was a black shirt with a white image on it, jeans, and sneakers, probably chucks Kate guessed.

This girl made her think of Chloe, of how much more this mostly dark haired girl was like the blue haired one than she herself was, and how she could never begin to compare to either of them. When she quizzed Max on the bus, did she purposely leave out her true type of girl?

She decided to test something. Kate got put her phone and texted Max.

**Kate: **What are you doing right now?

She saw Max look at her phone as it vibrated in her pocket. The brunette got it out and after staring down for a few moments, quickly typed a response.

**Max: **Nothing rly. What about you? Still coming?

Kate felt devastated.

_Nothing? Nothing!? She's clearly doing something... something with this much more interesting girl who won't push her away..._

She forced herself to type a casual response.

**Kate: **Not doing anything either. Yeah, see you there.

She stared at her phone with tears building. The two at the table resumed their talking while Kate stood unable to function, now practically paralyzed. Just as a doubt and fear filled her, she looked over to the table and saw the girl put her hand on Max's like a comforting gesture. The freckled girl had a melencholic look and had her head down. After a few moments of them continuing to talk, Max was looking shy and the girl flashed a smile at the brunette, still holding her hand. Something was said that made the brunette perk up and nod. One more thing was said and the girl gestured with her head to the door. Max nodded and they began to get up.

Kate's eyes widened in alarm and she quickly placed herself in a spot where they would not see her as they left. She breathed again when they passed by, Max not seeming to notice her bent down behind another person. When the door closed, Kate dared to peek out. She saw them through the glass of the door, crossing the street to a motorcycle, now noticing the leather jacket under the arms of the girl. She put it on and after a couple minutes of talking, she got out her helmet and handed another to Max. Once securing her own, she helped the brunette with hers. The girl got on and, with a moment of hesitation, Max then climbed on behind her, arms wrapped around the other's waist. The loud sound of the engine sounded and then a second later, they were gone.

Kate kept staring at the empty space where the bike had been for a long time before walking out in a dazed state at a pace that slowly built in speed. She had no idea where she was going as her feet pounded the pavement, while she futilely tried to escape from her own thoughts.


	23. Chapter 23

Kate kept going down the same street for blocks and didn't notice anything around her, including a couple who gave her a dirty look. As she passed by, they whispered to themselves, but she was soon far past them.

The blonde just kept walking until she came to a three-way junction and having to make a decision of which way to turn made her stop. She braced herself against the stoplight, now realizing she was out of breath. As she waited to recover, Kate burst into tears, but forced herself to cry quietly. She didn't want to draw too much attention to herself. Crying was bad enough. After settling down and wiping the tears away, Kate got out her phone. She looked at it and went straight to her favorites and found Anne's name, then started a text. She actually wanted to talk to Lynn first, but their parents felt she was too young for a phone. Anne would be great to talk to as well, she thought, but Kate stopped before texting. She remembered wondering what her sister thought of her, what both of them thought of her now. She had to put away that worry and it was time to face it.

_Have I really lost all of my family? Please let me keep my sisters, let them still love me. At least one?_

Kate felt her eyes watering again. She ignored it as she started texting. Kate had to know now.

**Kate: **Hey, Anne. Can we talk?

There was no response for a while and then she saw it.

**Anne: **Anne is not here. You are not to contact your sisters anymore. They do not need your sinful influence. I am changing her number today. Do not come back until you have found God again.

Kate burst into tears and slid down to the ground, no longer holding back her cries as she sobbed and trembled, holding the phone against her head, which bowed low until it touched the cold ground.

_I've really lost them now..God...please...help me..._

She wept until there were no more tears and just knelt in silence. When she saw that a person in the distance might have noticed her, she quickly composed herself. Kate sat up and began walking the opposite way, back where she came from. A thought came to her and she searched through her bag.

Hours later, it was almost seven. Max had just arrived at The Hot Spot with the other girl and once inside they parted.

"I'll see you in a minute."

"Sure thing, chicken wing," the girl said and walked over get in line at the front counter.

Max looked around and searched the room. There was no Kate to be found, but no Victoria either at least. Max still felt full of anxiety. She did not want to just hope and so brought out her phone. After considering her words, she sent a text to Kate.

**Max: **Are you still coming?

She stared at her phone for over a minute and there was no response. Max decided to just put it away. She frowned and walked over to the manager, a tall middle aged woman with brown hair. The woman smiled when she saw Max and asked, "Ready?"

"Not really, Cindy."

"You'll be great, don't worry about it."

"Thanks. I guess I better get up there."

"You better. I pushed everyone up to make sure you got in first."

"Yeah, thanks again for that."

"Well I had to after hearing your story. Maybe my whiny girls can see I do have a heart after all." She said, referring to the cafe's employees and winked.

"Yeah, you're pretty amazeballs."

"Thanks!...um, that's good right?"

Max chuckled. "Yeah. Definitely. Well...here I go."

"Go get 'em. I'll get us started." Cindy pat Max on the back and moved to the small stage in the corner of the room. She stepped onto it and took hold of a microphone at the end of a stand. She first spoke and it was quiet, then she moved her head to the side and yelled out, "Dave! Wake up!"

A man's voice was heard across the room saying, "Sorry!"

Cindy shook her head and then tapped on the microphone smiling at the sound it produced. She then said, "Hello all, it is open mic night once again. Remember to grab a flyer by the door to see the calendar of our scheduled open mic nights. Now...let's go ahead and start things off with a special girl I have just recently gotten to know who deserves your upmost attention and respect. Let's hear it for Max!"

Max was right by the stage and so stepped up as soon as she heard her name, though very slowly. It was clear she was extremely nervous. She smiled weakly and quietly said, "Thanks, Cindy," as she took her place in front of the microphone and the woman stepped down to fade back into the cafe.

Max held the stand as a comfort, something to do with her hands. She looked out once and scanned the crowd. No Kate was in sight. She bit at her lip and leaned over to towards the mic, saying, "Hi," but was not close enough to be heard very clearly. A man shouted, "What!?" There were some chuckles coming from near the voice and Max blushed.

"Hey fucker, shut up and chill!" the nose ringed girl shouted across the room. Max just noticed that she had taken her place on the seldom used piano on the side of the stage. She suddenly realized she was missing something and retrieved her guitar nearby and put the strap around herself. Max then smiled at the other girl who replied with a thumbs up that smoothly transformed to devil horns.

Max breathed out a long exhale and continued, now closer to the microphone. "Hi everyone. I-" It was then she noticed Kate come into the the cafe. They locked eyes and she froze again. The girl stood up from the piano bench and pointed at the heckler with the dirtiest death stare possible, daring him to say something, but he remained silent this time.

Kate looked as nervous as Max felt. It was clear she had been crying, but as hard as it was not to run over to her, the brunette had to keep going on while Kate broke from their shared gaze and found a spot on the side to stand and watch.

Max continued. "I just wanted to say thanks to Cindy for the, uh kind introduction and thanks to Vi (pronounced Vy) for...her piano skills. Don't let her fool you, I just met her today and I can already tell you she's the second kindest person I know."

"God damnit, Max! What did I tell you!?" Vi was heard shouting. She looking annoyed but was smiling playfully.

Cindy could be heard adding, "You're already playing piano for this sweet little hipster girl, I think your cover's been blown."

A couple people laughed and Vi shot them a look, but then said, "Well fuck. I guess I'll just own the shit out of it then."

Max smiled briefly and continued. "Also, you should know she is a better musician than you might think."

"Fuck right I am. Wait, what?"

Vi's antics were distracting, but it also lightened the tension she felt. Max smiled again, otherwise ignoring Vi, and said, "She is mostly, um only playing what I told her to and we actually just wrote this today. I have no idea what I'm doing really." She was now looking to Kate who stared back, taking in everything the other said.

Max continued, saying, "Please listen until the end," In her pause, Max's eyes pleaded to Kate who gave a small nod. The brunette let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and kept talking. "I promise it's short and simple. Not just because I'm still figuring this thing out, which I am, but because I chose the words because of what I wanted to say, and nothing more. This song...it's for a girl who's not here to sing it."

Max paused and looked down. "She...she would probably have made a sickass punk song, but that's...completely beyond me...this song is not _to_ her though." Max returned her gaze to Kate and locked eyes with her as she said, "This song is _for_ her to another, who is also not here anymore. This is their song. They...belonged together...but not like this...fate...isn't always fair." She looked back to the crowd and said, "Um, sorry...I'll just start now. Please take it easy on me, I'm nervous as shit." She felt her expletives come out as a tension reliever and let out another deep breath. Someone cheered, but were cut off as they were elbowed and a few people clapped. When she coughed and then started playing, the cafe became silent. As she sang, Vi added mournful back up vocals as they got further into the song. Max's eyes slowly filled with tears, and there was an underlying emotion behind her singing, but she did not falter.

_Let's forget this town_  
_And get out now or_  
_We'll never, we'll never_  
_Get_ _away_

_I just need you_  
_Angel_ _of_ _mine_  
_Forever_, _forever_  
_You_ _will_ _be_

_There_ _is_ _no_ _other_  
_And_ _there_ _is_ _no_ _way_ _out_  
_And_ _there_ _is_ _no_ _hope_ _now_  
_Unless_ _you're_ _beside_ _me_

_Somehow_ _we_ _will_ _make_ _it_  
_Someway_ _we_ _will_ _escape_  
_This_ _place_ _that_ _has_ _taken_  
_All_ _the good that we have made_

_When_ _will_ _we_ _get_ _out_ _of_ _this_ _town?_  
_When_ _will_ _we_ _live_ _the_ _love_ _that_ _we_ _wrote_ _down?_

The last two lines were sung in long and drawn out emotional notes that almost broke Max as she sung them.

Some eyes were not dry, including Vi's who quickly wiped them away and pretended never happened. Max took hold of the stand and said, "I have one more song. This one _is_ from me to another..." She looked to Kate and spoke directly to her. "Someone is afraid I will do something that will make me leave them, but...I will _never_ do it...I can understand though why they're scared, but I have not even tried doing...this thing...and this song is a promise that I never will. Fate...it doesn't always lead to a nightmare. It can be beautiful."

With that, she looked down and started playing, then back at Kate as she sang. Max became emotional once again, but the grief was gone and sheer determination thinly masked a fear that this would not change anything, but she fought with every strum and word, putting her full sincerity into every syllable.

_Every_ _branch_ _I_ _could_ _take_  
_just_ _cut_ _down_  
_I_ _know_ _I'm_ _ready_ _to_ _be_ _yours_  
_Right_ _now_

_I_ _will_ _not_ _fight_  
_what's_ _meant_ _to_ _be_  
_Not_ _now_  
_I_ _know I belong to you _  
_And you with me_

_Cut_ _them_ _off_  
_Every_ _branch_

_Tear_ _down_  
_Every_ _chance_

_That_ _keeps_  
_me_ _from_ _you_

_Stay_ _here_  
_I'll_ _stay_ _too_

After the last note there was no cheering, but a good amount of clapping as the crowd took Max's words to heart and sensed the serious sentiment.

"Thank you," Max said before giving it over to Cindy who went up to introduce the next musician. The freckled girl found Kate in the back again, starting to walk towards an empty hall that led outside. Max was starting to panic at first, but saw Kate was staring at her, making sure the brunette saw where she was going. Stepping up her pace, but trying not to stand out, Max made her way over and found Kate waiting for her at the end of the hall.

Max stopped about five feet away from the other. The both just stared a few moments, both with the same look of fear and longing, neither knowing what to say.

Kate finally spoke first. "Your song, both of your songs...they were beautiful and...both meant a lot. But...a song can't fix everything..."

Max felt like she was punched in the gut and looked down, feeling herself about to crumble.

"But it's a good start though," she heard Kate say, her voice suddenly closer than it was before and then felt the blonde take her hands in her own and say, "A _really_ good start."

Max looked back up, glassy eyes meeting an equally tear filled gaze from Kate.

Kate continued, saying with a shaky voice, "I...I want to believe you Em..."

Max got ready for another blow.

"...so, I will, because I trust you. I wanted to believe you when you first said you wouldn't leave me. I just was so afraid thinking there was even the smallest chance you would consider leaving and, at the time...it felt like there was more than a small chance."

Max did not confirm that out loud, but knew Kate was right. Things had changed since then, but there was still a hidden regret at giving up on Chloe that she knew would haunt her forever. She would not dwell on that now though. Max kept her thoughts only on her love of Kate. For now, that was easy, as she could barely contain her longing and desire for the angel in front of her.

Kate continued, saying, "Even though I believe you now completely, I'm not going to say that I won't still have the same fears, so I'll need time. We need to keep it slow for now..."

"I would wait my whole life for you," Max said, meaning every word.

"Oh Em...the things you say sometimes...makes me so...um..." She hid her face, but then continued, saying, "You..you're so sweet, I wish my-"her face turned from a rising hope to devastation as she triggered her own panic attack.

"Katie...what is it?"

Kate started falling apart, knowing she could now with Max to protect her. The freckled girl firmly placed her arms around Kate as the blonde cried. Max held her close, entirely confused on what was wrong, but not letting it stop her from comforting Kate.

"M-my mom...wo-wo-won't l...et me talk to m-my sis-ters. I don't even kn-know what they think of m-me now."

"Shh...no, no...Kate...your sisters love you and I know for sure Lynn is okay with us."

Kate was still shaking with ragged breaths, but her crying ceased as she pulled away and looked confused at Max. "Wh...how c-could you know that?"

"She figured it out, Katie. She knows, she's happy for us."

Laughing and crying at the same time, Kate said, "Oh my little Lynn, of course she knows. She's so smart. Th-thank you for telling me...but...what about Anne?"

"I'm not sure. I think she has some...hesitation about it, but I think Lynn was convincing her."

Kate nodded slightly and said, "She...she's a rule follower. It might take her more time...but...how can we now?" She was starting to become frantic again.

"We will figure out something. I promise you. We always do."

Kate did not say anything and just closed her eyes, trusting Max's confidence and rested her head on the other's shoulder. The brunette stroked Kate's hair few times, but returned the hand to hold her tight again.

"I missed this..."

"Me too, Em. You have no idea."

"I was afraid I lost you forever..."

"Never again. I'm yours. Just never leave me..."

"Never Katie, never."

After a little time of silence, Max said, "I...should have told you about going to Joyce's house. I should have told you last night, but I couldn't think straight."

"Em, no, you don't-"

"No, it's important you know. I went to say goodbye to Chloe or at least try to, but the other reason I went was to ask Joyce's...blessing on pursuing you."

Kate pulled back again while remaining in their embrace and looked at Max with surprise. "Pursuing me? Em...my sweet Em, you already had me. No woman or man or god could keep me from you. Not even myself, but I was stupid enough to try."

"Don't get used to it. I'm pretty sure I'm the stupid one in this relationship," Max said smiling, letting the joy she felt start to consume her.

"Relationship..." Kate said considering the word. "We really are finally together, aren't we?"

"We are. No more games. No more double meanings..."

"No? Those were fun though. Not sure I can stop that," Kate said smiling.

"Okay, I guess we can keep it going. We might need it later until I tell my parents."

Kate's eyes widened, but Max quickly added, "It's going to be fine...I mean, I think so...I know they love you already."

"As a friend though!"

"They'll love you even more, as my girlfriend."

Kate blushed at the first naming of their exact relationship.

"Is that what I am...right now, your..._girlfriend_?" Kate asked shyly.

"Yes, Katie." Max smiled warmly at her and continued, saying, "And I'm yours."

"You better be," Kate said playfully and tilted her head in to kiss Max's neck. The brunette's knees buckled, but she recovered before they both fell, though there was a moment of scrambling to stay up.

"Wha-wha happened to keeping it slow? Not that I'm complaining!" She hastily added.

Kate smiled bashfully though with some mischief as she said, "I couldn't help it. Every part of you is so kissable..." and ended her sentence whispering it into Max's ear. She could feel the brunette shudder and she added, "Besides, it's not the first time I kissed your neck, believe it or not." Before Max could question what she meant, they both heard a voice from the other end of the hall, at its entrance.

"You two baby gays are so fucking cute it makes me sick. I think I just threw up a little in my mouth," Vi said with a smirk as she looked them both up and down.

They both scrambled to part and then Max instantly calmed down seeing who it was, but Kate still held her nervousness.

"I love it though, so I swallowed," Vi added.

"You're so gross, Vi," Max said smiling and then shifted her tone, saying, "Hey though, thanks again. I can't believe we pulled it off and didn't bomb it. I did not feel ready at all."

"You did it though. First gig too and you practically nailed it. And looks like it worked, huh?" She turned to Kate, gave a small wave and said, "Hi!" then turned to Max and said, "You weren't kidding about her. She's a literal angel, look at this perfection."

Kate turned red and Max rolled her eyes.

Vi continued, saying, "So hey, I'm Vi, spelled V, I. That's short for violent," then winked. and Kate responded quicker than either other girl thought she would from her frazzled state and said, "As long as it's not short for Victoria."

The brunette just looked awkwardly away with wide eyes, knowing it was best to stay silent, but Vi was taken aback by the sudden retort before laughing out loud and said, "Yeah, fuck that bitch, right?"

"You know her?" Kate asked in surprise.

"I'm sure you know she likes to make her presence known, so it shouldn't be much of a surprise."

Kate said, "You're not wrong." She seemed to drift closer to Max as she spoke. Vi appeared to notice and smiled before saying, "Well it was so nice to meet you, but I'll let you two get back to it. Just let me know, Max, when you want to jam again, or just hang out...both of you of course. I hear your girl plays a mean fiddle."

"The meanest." Max grinned as she bragged on Kate's talent.

"My _fiddle_ is very nice actually, and appreciates your offer, but I'll have to think about it," Kate said playfully, tactfully buying time before committing to anything. "I'd like to hear some of your own music sometime, Vi, if that's okay?"

"Of course, of course," Vi said cheerfully, then gave a two finger salute and said, "See you two later, then." As she turned away she added, "You picked a good one, Max. I can see why we did this." The next moment she was stepping back into the room, shouting, "Fucking get out of my way!"

Max smiled awkwardly at Kate and said, "So that's Vi."

"She's...interesting."

"Yeah, I guess. She's something for sure...so...did you want to get back to your place, or maybe my place?"

"Either one, as long as I'm with you."

Max smiled and brought her close, then squeezed Kate tight in her arms while gently putting their heads together. The brunette let out a long breath of contentment and said, "Let's go."

As they first started walking, Max asked, "So what really made you agree to come here? I was surprised you agreed so quickly to come. I thought I'd have to convince you."

"Honestly, I was thinking about not going...I came here early and saw you with...with Vi. I thought you were already...moving on?"

They stopped moving.

"You think I would do that to you?"

"No, but it just looked that way, she was holding your hand...and smiling at you too much...and you were...I don't know..."

"I was telling her all about what happened with Chloe and how I wanted a real farewell song, she felt bad for me. Then I told her all about you and how much I love you."

"Yeah, I understand that now." Kate blushed in embarrassment, but also at the mentioning of love and wondered what Max said about her.

"You don't have to worry about Vi. She is all for us being together, believe me."

"Yeah, I think so too." They both smiled. Kate added, "But the reason I was able to come was 1 Peter 5:10. I'll let you look it up." She gave a playful grin which Max returned. They kept walking.

As they headed back, Max wondered when, if ever would be a good time to tell Kate about the vision she had at the tobanga and what she took from it. She put the thought aside for now and focused on being with the girl she loved. The two continued to share smiles back and forth the entire way. They did not notice an older woman narrow her eyes while pointing them out to another as the two girls passed by.


	24. Chapter 24

When they reached the dorms, Max led Kate to her own room. She opened the door for the other and said, "My father taught me to be chivalrous with fair ladies."

Kate looked down and smiled before stepping inside. When she entered the room she gasped.

"Em, are...are these for me?"

Max closed the door behind her and smiled with satisfaction as Kate's joyful voice continued, saying, "They're so beautiful, I can't believe you did this. What if things turned out different? What if I didn't come?"

"Well, I think wasted flowers would be the least of my concerns."

Kate touched the red tulips delicately while admiring them and said quietly, "No one ever gave me flowers before." Then spoke up, saying, "I mean, besides the hospital, but that's not the same."

"I know what you mean," Max smiled.

"Yeah...so you're the first."

"And you're the first person I ever gave flowers _to_...in a romantic way."

Kate turned from the flowers to lock eyes with Max. "We'll be each other's first for a lot of things." The way that Kate said those words and how she looked at her made the freckled girl's legs feel weak.

Their minds filled the silence with the exact same thoughts, but neither spoke them.

They both looked away at the same time. Max was still pretending to stare at something on the floor when Kate turned back to her and said, "So...why tulips? I mean, I'm not complaining. I _love_ them. Most people are given roses."

"You are not most people, Katie. Not even close. I wanted something at least a little more special for you."

Kate smiled shyly and asked, "And...why are you all the way over there?"

"I told you I was the the stupid one." Max closed the gap and came behind Kate who looked coyly over her shoulder as the brunette came close and put her arms around the other's waist. It was as if Kate was waiting for this, expecting it. The blonde closed her eyes as she savored Max's touch.

Max was very tempted to let her hands wander. She knew Kate wanted her affection as much as she wanted to give it, but the brunette would respect the other's wishes to keep it slow. Max instead just held her more firmly and took in a deep breath with her face buried in blonde locks, eyes closed.

Kate could not hide her pleasure from their intimate contact. "Mmm...uh, mmm Em...let's get to bed."

Max loosened her grip and opened her eyes.

Kate clarified, adding, "To lay down and talk. It's been a long few days and I'm sure we have a lot to talk about. I wouldn't mind some cuddles too."

"Sure, we can do that. I'll go brush and be right back." It felt really difficult to leave Kate right now. She didn't even want to let go of her. Luckily, Kate had an idea that would solve her problem.

"How about I come with you?" Kate said as she turned around to face Max.

"Uh...sure. Not to sound like a creeper, but I definitely don't mind spending every second with you, still...um, why?"

"I just wanted to try something."

"Okay...not going to tell me?"

"I'll _show_ you."

"'Kay...I guess let's go then."

Kate followed Max to her room with toothbrush and toothpaste in hand and the brunette went to grab her toothbrush and Kate said, "I'll wait for you here. I'll brush after."

Max gave her a look and said, "Okay...you better not be redecorating. I worked really hard to show everyone that I'm a cookie cutter hipster."

Kate smiled in amusement and said, "Don't worry. I'll be a good girl for you." She didn't say it with a provocative tone, but she didn't have to.

"Okay! Be right back."

Max walked out quickly, not able to handle Kate's suggestive flirting. She walked swiftly down the hall wondering if she should take a cold shower while she was at it. Once done brushing though, she returned and came back in to find Kate standing in front of her in a different shirt. She looked closer at it and finally realized it was _her_ shirt. It was a white shirt with a black drawing of a deer.

"What do you think?" Kate asked with a cute pose.

"Umm...is it okay to say that I think that's super hot?"

Kate tilted her head down as she blushed, but said, "Yeah...you can say that."

Max then noticed the bra in Kate's hand and when the blonde came closer she realized she didn't have to see that to know it. She turned her head away so she wouldn't stare.

Max said, "Okay, so yeah...um, you can brush now."

"Okay then, be back soon." Kate was speaking like she knew exactly what kind of effect she was having on Max. She was really making her declaration of taking it slow difficult to follow. Kate lightly brushed her hand over Max's cheek and smiled mischievously before leaving.

_I'll_ _show_ _her... _Max playfully thought. She waited a moment and then peeled out the door, watching until she saw Kate disappear into the bathrooms and then darted into the blonde's room.

Max scrambled to change into one of Kate's shirts. She knew it would have less of an effect now, but she was determined to do something in response. Looking through her drawers, Max found a mostly plain white shirt with a small anime character in one corner.

_Am_ _I_ _doing_ _this? It's not that crazy, she just did it...I just don't have much time..._

She stared at it and afraid to hear Chloe tell her not to be a chickenshit, swiftly pulled off her own shirt and took off her bra, before slipping the white shirt on.

Max left swiftly and returned to her own room. She waited with hands on her hips when Kate came in. Kate's eyes went wide, so Max knew she at least surprised her too. The blonde put her hand to her mouth and said, "Is...that...that's my shirt, right?"

"Fair is fair."

"You're right...it _is_ hot. We should make this a routine."

Max put her arms around herself, losing her confidence in the bashfulness that now came. She had to take charge again. Kate was winning their playful game of flirting.

Stepping over and to the blonde, Max took Kate's hand and wordlessly guided her to the bed. In her mind, the brunette imagined what this would would normally lead to, and wondered what day it would happen. She banished these thoughts away though before she lost the ability to think.

Max let go of the other's hand and crawled into bed. The brunette scooted over to give Kate room, but once she was next to her, Max then rolled back over to get close and lock legs with her. It was already a routine, with Kate immediately working with her to make it happen.

At first neither said anything. Max stroked Kate's cheek for a few moments, the other girl closing her eyes until the freckled girl then slipped her hand down to take the blonde's, holding it in the tight space between them.

Max looked down and became thoughtful before saying, "Katie..."

"Yeah?"

"Will it ever be like this...out there? I mean, not always laying down together, but..."

"I know what you mean, Em."

After a few seconds, it seemed there would be no answer. This was not giving Max a good feeling, but Kate said, "I want to...I really do. But...I'm not ready yet..."

Max frowned. "When? Will you ever be ready?"

"I don't know..."

"Are you...ashamed of us? Of me..."

"No! No, Em, I feel like the luckiest..."

"You were going to say, um..lesbian, weren't you," Max said grinning.

"No...um..yeah. It's so weird saying it out loud."

"After hiding it for so long?"

"Yeah..." Kate looked a little melancholic.

"Won't it feel so much better when you don't have to hide it from anyone anymore? Everyone important knows, so why do you care so much still?"

"Em...you have to understand...once I do this...when I show it in public...my church days are done. At least the church I have known forever. The one my dad preaches at..."

"He knows though, so isn't everyone going to know already?"

"You don't know my dad. He will avoid this as long as possible. He may love me...or says he does..." Kate paused, becoming frozen in thought. Max stroked her cheek again like before and the blonde snapped out it and said, "...but..._he_ is the one that is shamed by this, by...us. He won't tell anyone. He'll try to _fix_ me privately, before this gets out...or maybe he's hoping I'll just leave town." Kate seemed to be going down a dark train of thought again.

Max brought up Kate's hand to her lips and hoped she was not going to far as she kissed each knuckle and then said, "I am not going to let them be in charge of _our_ lives. I will fight for you, for us. We're not going anywhere...unless you wanted to."

Kate smiled, but it quickly faded as she said, "It's just a matter of time before I can't go to that church or maybe any church in this town. I just wanted one last time...you know? To really appreciate it."

Max was worried about her stubbornness to make this happen and what it might result in. She tried one more time to convince her not to go, saying, "What if...his um, sermon? is about us?"

Kate's expression turned concerned, but then a fierce determination replaced it. "I'll deal with it. The worship time...they can't hurt me then. I know I'll at least have that."

"Okay...well, I guess I can't talk you out of it. So..this Sunday...we'll go."

"We?"

"What? Of _course_ we! You really think I would let you do this alone?"

"I didn't want to pressure you, I know church isn't where you want to be on a Sunday morning."

"Where I want to be all day, every day is with you, Katie. I hope you know that."

Kate let her head rest against Max's and said, "I do. I'm sorry...I-"

"Don't worry about it. I will _always_ be there for you." Max pulled back and kissed Kate's forehead, making her blush. She then smiled and sighed out some tension that Max's love seemed to cast out.

After a few moments, Max asked, "Hey...didn't you sort of invite me to that...not Halloween, Halloween thing?"

"The Harvest Festival? Yeah...there are actually two. One is Sunday evening, since people celebrate on the weekend and then another on actual Halloween."

"So which one are we going to?"

"Oh...well...I thought maybe both, but at least the first one this Sunday. People still dress up, but a lot of people dress up as biblical characters. It's silly, I know."

"Are you cereal? You tell me this now? I have no costume," Max said in light hearted annoyance. She gently tapped Kate's nose twice. A thought came that she actually did have a costume. Max didn't think she would ever wear the pirate gear again though. She was only a pirate with Chloe. She tried to move past the sad reminder.

Kate said, "I'm sorry, things have been...well, you know."

"Yeah...sorry."

"We don't have to wear customes, or even go if you don't want."

"I'll go," Max said quietly with warmth before squeezing Kate's hand. She could tell this was something the blonde looked forward to doing.

"It's okay, we don't-"

"We're going," Max said in a playful firmness.

Kate smiled and said, "Okay, you win. Maybe we can go by that store on the edge of town and see what they have left."

"Tomorrow?"

"Yeah, let's do it."

"Okay, sounds like a plan."

They were quiet again for a while and Max started the conversation again, saying, "Katie..."

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something...or are some things better not to talk about right now?"

"Em, just tell me. I'll let you know, but you don't need to be afraid about asking anything."

"I was wondering what...well..what exactly you believe now."

"Oh.." Kate was obviously not expecting the question based on her reaction. She seemed to be contemplating it and said, "I actually don't know. I...I feel like it's changing. Not just from before, but still is and I have no idea what I will really believe from one day to the next. It's like..." Kate seemed to struggle to find the words, but then said, "It's like if everything I was raised to believe was put in an egg and as soon as I realized I...was..." Kate made herself say it out loud, fighting years of self repression. "...gay...it's like I poked a hole in that egg with a pin and it started draining. It was so slow and even after years, it was still mostly full. Then everything in the last few days happened...and a finger poked straight through the smaller one and now it's all pouring out. Soon, it will be empty and I'll be holding a shell that I could crush with the slightest pressure, that I could destroy any moment I chose to...I know that's a weird metaphor, but I don't know how else to say it. I want to keep what I have while I can. It's gotten me through so much. I'm not going to let bad christians take it away from me. It will be my decision. Not theirs."

Max put Kate's hand up to her lips again and kissed the top of it this time, then said, "No...it's not weird and I understand. I'll support you, whatever you do, whatever you believe. I'm lucky you put up with me. You never ask me what I believe, though I told you now...basically the same as you. I don't know what to think about anything anymore."

"I never asked because it never mattered, Em." Kate removed her hand from Max's to gently hold her face. "I told you, no person or god would keep me from you. It doesn't matter what you believe, as long as you love me."

"I love you more than anything, Katie. I can't believe we're both already saying it. I thought...I thought that it was just me, but you...you said it back, I still can't believe it. Are we crazy? I don't care what others might think, I feel it. I feel it so strongly, I know it's real."

Kate smiled. "No, we're not crazy...just in love." Max felt that Kate wanted to kiss her, but she didn't force it. She waited and then Kate seemed to grab hold of her resolve and take a deep breath in before stretching, and the moment passed.

"Katie..."

"Yes, Em? Should I brace myself this time?" she asked while smiling, giving Max a hard time.

"I'm sorry, I keep asking these tough questions."

"I'm just messing with you, Em. Ask away."

"I was thinking that, since we don't have to be at school...maybe we could surprise my parents and go visit them Friday and come back Saturday?"

Kate froze and did not respond at first, but then said, "Umm...what? All of a sudden? That's not much notice...I...I don't know if I'm ready..."

"Me either! But I just have this really uber urge to tell them about us now. I would do it on the phone, but..."

"You want to see their reaction."

Max looked back at her shocked that she knew.

"How did you...oh yeah, you're the smart one."

"Em, are you sure you're ready?"

Max thought for less than a second and said, "Yes. I'm absolutely sure. I need to tell them. I just have to do this as soon as possible."

Kate sighed in resignation and said, "Okay. Let's do it then. Wait...how are we going to even get there?"

"Well...I was thinking...bus?"

Kate looked doubtful and asked, "How many hours is that? That had to be half a day at least."

"No, actually it's umm...less than twelve hours."

"Twelve hours!"

"_Less_ than twelve!"

Kate sighed and said, "Okay, Em. This time you _are_ crazy, but I love you, so we'll do it."

"Thank you, thank you!" Max kissed Kate's hand repeatedly and the blonde looked off to the side while smiling from all the affection.

Max added, "We'll get the tickets tomorrow after we pick our costumes."

"'Kay," and couldn't help but to add, "You're lucky you're so cute. I have to figure out how to say no to you."

"_I_ have to figure how to make you say yes quicker."

"I'm sure you'll figure out something..."

Kate's bedroom eyes made Max fidget with her legs as she tried to close them, but they were wrapped around the blonde's and could barely move. She bit her lip and said, "Well, anyways...I guess I um...have only one more question and we can sleep."

Kate let her frazzled state pass without comment and playfully said, "Okay Caulfield, do your worst." Max thought Kate was _so_ cute when she even was pretending to be tough. She felt giddy inside.

"I have to ask...I know you've sort of implied it, but...you aren't interested in boys at all, right?"

Kate seemed amused and said, "I thought I made myself clear, but no, no boys for me."

Max smiled. Katie asked, "And what about you. I was pretty sure I knew, but I guess I need to ask too now."

"Umm...yeah, no boys.

"Good. I want to be all you need."

"You are, Katie. You are everything to me."

Kate sighed with contentment, "Oh Em..." She gazed deep into the freckled girl's eyes and said, "I love you."

"I love _you_." Max said it with her look as much as her voice.

They held their bodies close together and their hands soon were delicately caressing each other in the silence, but eventually slowed until finally becoming still as both slept peacefully in each other's arms.


	25. Chapter 25

Max slept soundly until the sun began to rise and in her dreams she was screaming out Kate's name, afraid for her, but not knowing why. She sat up in bed, woken by this sudden nightmare. Looking over, Kate was there, her slumber slightly disturbed by the brunette's movements. For a moment, Max was very distracted by how beautiful Kate looked curled up beside her, but then she thought back to what woke her up.

She could not remember the dream. It did not feel like a vision, and it was not Jefferson or the tobanga, but being concerned about Kate being in danger felt just as bad as any nightmare and worse. She was safe though. Still, Max began to worry until an idea came. Carefully slipping out from their untwined legs, Max crept out of bed and reached her bag. She pulled out her camera and then went to the other side of the room where she pulled out an empty photo album.

_I_ _don't_ _even_ _know_ _if_ _this_ _would_ _work_ _if_ _I_ _needed_ _it_ _to,_ _but_ _it_ _can't_ _hurt_ _to_ _try_ _to_ _be_ _prepared..._

Coming up close to Kate, Max framed her in the camera's view and took a picture. The sound and flash startled the blonde for a moment, enough to let Max slip the photo into the album which she then put under the bed.

Kate had an annoyed face and looked down as Max stood up by the bed.

"Wha...what are you doing?"

"Nothing, sorry...I didn't mean to wake you."

Kate made a morning moan and stretched before saying, "Wait...did you just take a picture of me?"

Max looked down sheepishly and said, "Umm...yeah. Sorry for being a creeper."

"No, no, that's great...I'm glad you're doing it again some more since...the bus." Kate yawned and rubbed her eyes.

"Oh, uh...yeah. I guess so."

"Can I see it?"

"Let's save it for later," the brunette said playfully.

Max got back into bed and they were instantly back in each other's arms staring at each other lovingly. Kate swept the brunette's hair back and said, "Em...I...I can tell you want to kiss me."

Max's mouth popped open just a little, caught in her painfully obvious thoughts. She couldn't speak.

"It's okay, I want to kiss you too, um...you have no idea...but someday we will be kissing so much that we'll lose count of them by the first day...but...the next one...I just want to be special. I already messed up the first one...and the second that never happened...but I'm not just here with you because you're so beautiful and...make me want to do...unspeakable things to you, I want to do this right. I don't want to scare you away, but...I want this to last...forever." Her last word was almost a whisper and she looked away afraid to see the other's reaction.

Max quickly reassured her, saying, "I want that too, Katie." She knew that Kate asking her before to never leave was more about not suddenly disappearing than a long term comittment. The relief was apparent in the blonde's sudden deep inhale and slow exhale.

Kate turned back to her, her eyes a little glassy with emotion, and they just shared a look of love for a few precious seconds. Kate spoke next, saying, "So...I want the next kiss to really remind me of how and why I feel...loved by you. Is that okay?"

"Of course, Katie...I told you we can take it slow, but when the moment comes...we will kiss and I will make sure you know exactly how much I love you."

"Thank you, Em..."

"Anything for my angel. You really are the purest thing."

"Kate first smiled shyly, but said, "You wouldn't say that if you knew even half my thoughts about you."

Max grinned, blushing, but excited at what she imagined what Kate might think. After a moment, she said, "Katie...since I guess nothing can scare you away either...remember when my parents were here and you talked about...wanting a bunny family someday...?"

"Yeah..."

"Did you mean..."

Kate smiled. "Yes, Em. That's exactly what I meant."

"Oh..." Max was thoughtful. "I think you'll be a great mom."

Kate relished in the compliment. "Yeah?"

"The best. Me though...well...not sure about that."

"What? You'd be great!"

"I don't even know if I could handle pregnancy. Besides freaking out about it, I definitely don't have, um..._birthing_ hips."

"You worry too much."

"This I know." Max scrunched her mouth to the side.

"I know you would be fine and be the best mom."

"How would you even do that, I mean where would you get the...stuff..."

"We'd figure it out," Kate said calmly with confidence.

Max knew they were talking about their shared future, but hearing her say _we_ now made her feel giddy, despite her fears.

Kate ended the conversation though, saying, "But we'll take it one day at a time for now. I'll want a ring before a baby anyways."

Max's eyes widened at the idea of Kate expecting a proposal from her. She said it so matter of fact, and the thought was intense and exhilarating, making her heart skip a beat. It was more thrilling at the moment than even the talk of babies because it felt so much closer.

Kate noticed, but assumed it was panic and said, "Again, Em, I want to do this right, so I don't expect to see you on one knee tomorrow or even for a long time. I'm making sure we don't burn out, and I don't think we can, but I'm taking no chances, so don't worry. I'm not pressuring you into anything."

Max quickly said, "It's okay, I'm not worried. I um, just got a little excited thinking about it..."

Kate smiled, happy that Max was as ready for their future as she was and said, "Good," then leaned in and kissed the freckled girl on her cheek, causing her to close her eyes a moment and sigh with pleasure. Kate then added, "This doesn't count by the way," referring to not kissing Max on the lips.

"I don't think I complained?" Max smiled, now looking at her again.

"Good, because I just decided it's my goal to kiss every freckle of yours. I am going to have to be very thorough to make sure I don't miss a single one. _Very_ thorough."

Max could only put a hand over her face and bashfully say, "Katie..."

"I told you my thoughts were dangerous..." Kate smiled at how much she flustered Max. Talking about it would do...for now.

Kate quickly kissed Max's other cheek and sat up, saying, "Let's get ready, love!"

Max felt the double whammy of the second kiss and Kate's apparent new pet name for her. She took in a large breath and exhaled loudly, letting out all the butterflies filling her stomach. She wondered how she could handle what Kate would someday do to her if she could barely handle her words.

The two got ready, each changing in their separate rooms and accidentally timing it perfectly to meet in the hallway. They smiled when they saw each other and Kate said, "Let's go grab something from the cafeteria and then go."

Max hid her aprehension at having to eat now and nodded. When Kate chose a yogurt parfait, she saw Max hesitate and so grabbed another one for the brunette who knew better to complain now at this point. They ate at a table and when Max thought they were done, Kate brought out a protein bar from her bag. Max did hesistate this time, but a stern look from Kate made her quickly take it and begin eating. It was only when Kate made sure Max ate that the brunette really took her toughness seriously. This idea made the freckled girl start having thoughts about who was the dominant person in their relationship and the answer felt too complicated to comprehend. She decided there didn't have to be a simple answer. They were whatever they needed to be for the other.

When they got were done they made a quick trip to the bathroom. Max came out first and she felt her phone vibrate. Taking it out, she saw it was Vi.

Kate came out just as Max finished reading the text. She said to Kate, "Hey, Vi just messaged me. She wanted to know if we want to hang out. What do you think? Want to keep it just us, or bring her along to the costume shop?"

Kate considered the idea. "Hmm...well, I do love having you all to myself, but I bet she would be the kind of person to make it even more fun...and I do want to get to know her more since it seems like we will be hanging out more..."

"So...I tell her yes?"

"Yeah, let's invite her."

Max nodded and texted Vi. After less than a minute a reply came.

"She says...awesomesauce and...oh, she says she'll pick us up."

"On her motorcycle? Both of us?"

"Ha, no...I guess she also has a car."

"That's great. Ask if she can pick us up in front of the school."

Max texted and, again, quickly received a reply.

"She says she'll be here in a few minutes."

"Great, let's go out and wait for her." Kate took Max's arm at first and snuggled into her side, but quickly let go. The brunette knew this was because there were some people around. She hoped for the day when Kate would not be afraid to show her affection. Max was nervous about it too, how people might react, but she knew she was more ready than the other. She believed that Kate went back and forth though when she really thought back. She didn't know that sometimes, the need to comfort Max is what gave her courage.

They waited outside for a few minutes and, true to her word, Vi pulled up in a paint faded Black Ford Escort.

She called out the open passenger window, "How much?"

Max seemed more amused than Kate who actually took Max's arm as if to partially hide behind her, temporarily forgetting to keeping a platonic appearance.

"Aww, just kidding, angel." Then added, "Money is no object, hop in!"

Kate looked at Max to show her annoyance, but there was an obvious hint of humor in her expression and she walked to the door. Max quickly jumped in front and opened it for Kate who smiled. The brunette paused a moment, uncertain if she should sit up front or not, but decided not to leave Kate alone in the back and joined her from the other side.

Vi looked back with a smirk and said, "Guess I'll be driving two Miss Dasies today." Max started to try and explain why she sat in the back, but Vi cut her off and said, "Don't worry about it, I get it. You can't leave this one alone for a moment. I know I wouldn't. Don't take her for granted for a second."

Max could see that when Vi turned back around, her expression turned serious. She thought it best not to bring it up.

Vi said, "So we're getting Halloween costumes?"

"We'll try," Max said.

"Let's hit it then," Vi said, before driving off.

A few seconds later, the other two girls were surprised to hear Kate start up the conversation again, asking Vi, "So Vi, how long have you been playing piano?"

"Oh, well...technically several years. My parents did one thing right and made me take lessons, but I thought I'd show them later and just dropped it at some point. A couple years back I picked it up again. You sound like you've played your whole life."

Kate smiled at the compliment and said, "It feels like it. Pretty much. I'm sure you surprise a lot of people with your skills though."

"Cause of how I look?"

"No, I mean-"

"It's okay. It wouldn't be the first time. I always have to prove I'm eclectic as shit at some point. I'm not letting anyone put me in a box unless it's-" Vi chuckled and did not finish her sentence. "Never mind."

Max added, "Yeah, I had no idea she played piano until I brought up my song ideas. That was when she offered to help and said she had a place to practice."

"Yeah, we banged those two songs out pretty quick and practiced them a million times before coming back," Vi said, looking forward while she drove.

"You both did great. Thank you Vi for helping Em, um, Max. It really was so beautiful."

"Of course! Wait...Em? Is that your name for little Maxie over here?"

Kate looked away as Vi turned her head back a moment to them. The girl saw her bashfulness and sincerely said, "Aww that is so cute," but added, "Don't make me sick though while I'm driving. Hard to see through chunks on the windows."

Max took Kate's hand and squeezed it and looked at her lovingly, ignoring Vi's last comments. The blonde smiled and leaned in to Max and wrapped her other arm around the freckled girl, enjoying the freedom to love on her without worry.

Vi looked through the rearview mirror and said, "Hey! What did I say! Chunks!" She then muttered jokingly, "Goddamn adorable baby gays."

Kate smiled and felt the tingles go through her as Max caressed her arm up and down while they sped down the road, wishing they would never reach their destination.


	26. Chapter 26

The three girls made small talk until they reached the costume shop, The Black Mask. When they pulled up, Vi said, "I've bought some interesting outfits here...fun times." Her smile was mischievous. The other two girls shared a look, but did not ask any questions.

Max put a hand on her girlfriend's lap and said, Hold on," before hurrying out. Kate moved slowly to allow the freckled girl to open the door for her. It seemed silly, but the blonde found it endearing and romantic at the same time. Vi had gotten out and was watching the sight, just putting her hand to her head as she shook it and grinned, muttering, "You girls just never stop with the cute shit, do you?"

They both were bashful and Max gave a shy shrug. "Ok, let's go," Vi said patting Max in the back. They all walked over together to the store's entrance and went inside.

A bell sounded as the door swung open and a skinny bearded man gave them a toneless greeting. Kate smiled, Max nodded, and Vi ignored. The brunette was sure the welcome was only given as a way to let them know he was aware of their presence. It was a typical shoplifting deterrent.

Vi led the way, seeming to know exactly where to start. As Max and Kate followed, they saw only one other person, some man in the corner looking at masks. They ended in an aisle with full outfit sets. While they browsed, Kate spoke up, saying to Vi, "So what do you do, Vi? For work I mean."

Vi stopped moving as she was pulling out Batman costume hanging from the wall. She let it fall back down and said, "Well, fuck, I do lots of stuff. Let's see though, I mostly tattoo, bartend, but I guess the main job is accounting."

The two other girls paused as if waiting for her to say she was joking. She just rolled her eyes and said, "I told you, eclectic as shit."

Max and Kate looked back to each other and smiled. "The blonde continued her questioning, saying, "That's impressive. You must be great with numbers."

"Fuck, I have to be. It's just a part time thing, but it pays. This hodunk town doesn't have enough jobs though, so I get my biz done online."

She picked up the Batman costume again, but said, "What am I thinking? Wrong Batman," and pushed it roughly back in place.

Max asked, "You do tattoos, but don't have any?"

Vi looked back to her like she was crazy and said, "When did I ever say I don't have tattoos?"

Max shrunk back a little and said, "Oh, um...I just couldn't tell..."

Vi stepped near Max to put a hand on her shoulder. She was a few inches taller than the brunette, which only added to her intimidation factor, but the older girl said, "Yeah, I keep them hidden pretty good, huh? Next you're going to ask to see them, but I don't know if miss K will want you looking in those places," and winked.

Kate looked away and Max froze in obvious awkwardness, but Vi laughed and said, "I'm just messing with you, well...sort of." She paused and looked at Max as if considering something, her face growing serious. Her hand was still on the brunette's shoulder. She then took it off to pat Max's upper left arm twice and sighed before saying, "There's at least one I can show you. Just not today." She switched back to her mischievous mood and said, "Now Maxie here, I can see getting a tattoo someday, but you..." She turned to Kate. "...I think a tattoo, a sleeve would be an amazing contrast on an angel like you."

Max trembled for a moment, with visions of Chloe and her tattoo. There was a second where she unwillingly pictured Chloe's tattoo on Kate. It looked like Kate might have been thinking the same sort of thing, or maybe just the idea of getting tattooed was shocking enough. The blonde said, "Oh, um, thanks...but I don't think I'm a tattoo sort of person," then hastily added, "Not that there's anything wrong with having tattoos, just...not for me."

Vi could not be deterred from her confidence. "You may change your mind. I have seen it happen many times. Like...a _lot_ of times."

"We'll see..." Kate offered politely with a shrug.

"I'll take it as a maybe. Just promise me I get to be the one to do it, if you ever decide to go for one. I promise I'm good and I do it by the book. I run a clean and hygienic ship."

Kate decided to make Vi happy and said, "Uh, sure...if I ever decide to um, do that..."

Vi turned back to Max, saying, "And you? When should I set up your appointment?"

Max wasn't quite ready for the question and said, "Oh...um, I'm not sure...I'll let you know."

"I'm going to keep asking, but I'll let it go for now. Oh, and it's on the house. Well, for you two. Don't go offering all your friends tattoos. We just need to do it after hours. Boss is okay with that, just need to let him know in advance. That help change your minds? No? Still not ready?"

The other two thanked Vi for her offer but again declined for now.

Vi said, "Well, I tried. Let's keep looking then."

The couple shared a minor look of relief that she did let it go and they continued to pick through the costumes. Max pulled out a fox outfit. She put it up against herself then looked at Kate and said, "Maybe _you'd_ look better in this, actually."

"Sure, I'll try it on," Kate said with a grin. She took the costume and put it under her arm.

"A Fox as a Fox? Isn't that redundant, guys?" Vi declared.

Kate's cheeks turned a light red.

Vi put her hands on her hips and said, "Well damn, Maxie, you can't just leave those easy ones out there. I have to say them if you're not going to be quick enough. Someone has to. Ooo look, Minecraft. I'm definitely a creeper."

"No, that's Max," Kate said smiling at the brunette who grinned back, getting the reference to the morning Polaroid.

Vi just looked back and forth between the two a moment, realizing an inside joke was going over her head. She seemed slightly annoyed and decided to move on and let go of the green costume to grab a yellow hazmat suit.

The older girl said, "Game over girls, I am claiming this as my official Halloween costume and later will use it in my own band. Just will leave the hood down and zip this thing down to show some decent cleavage. I want to promote safety _and_ sexiness."

"Go for it, Vi. If anyone could pull it off, it's you," Max said.

"Thanks Maxie. You really know how to validate my random decisions. I appreciate that."

"You never told me your band's name," Max said, implying the question.

"My band? Oh, we're The Screw Ups. Everyone is ironically holding a steady job."

"I like it," Max said.

Max walked over to a costume that caught her eye and took it out. She got Kate's attention and lifted it up to her.

Kate squinted to read the label and said, "Daenerys Targaryen? Really?"

"Why not? You'd be perfect as her," Max said smiling.

Vi nodded and added enthusiastically, "Mother of fucking dragons. I'd pledge my loyalty right here and now to put you on the iron throne."

Max joined in, saying in a poor British accent, "As would I, your majesty," and bowed. Vi took a knee and pushed Max until she did the same. Kate seemed amused and embarrassed at the same time.

"You guys...stop it...people are going to stare."

Vi looked around and said, "Who? The one guy who looks like he is about to leave, or the guy at the front who sees a bunch of weirdos like us do this every day?"

Kate rolled her eyes and sighed. "Okay okay...rise subjects and give your queen a minute to try this on."

Vi whispered to Max, "This is good practice for you though, right?" and winked as she elbowed the brunette. Max batted Vi away and whispered loudly, "Vi! Shh, stop it," and was looking annoyed with her eyes, but was smiling.

Kate did not show that she heard as she reached her girlfriend to trade the fox costume for the Daenerys one. Max and Vi followed her to the changing room, and as soon as they were all headed that way, Kate turned back around and smirked at Max, then glanced to the side to look at her left hand extended out, flaring her fingers, as if looking for a missing ring. Max gave Vi an annoyed look, but when the older girl nudged her, she smiled.

When Kate disappeared in one of the stalls, Vi turned to Max and said, "So...you taking good care of your queen?" Vi elbowed Max suggestively.

"What? Um, no, I mean...we...that's _our_ business, but...no...we are taking it slow for now. Kate wants to do it right, you know?"

"She wants your respect...she's in it for the long haul."

"Um, maybe? I think she knows I respect her...but you're right. We've already been talking about...the future, you know...the far future."

"Moving in together? Marriage? Kids?" Vi said it jokingly but saw Max not balk at her guesses. Vi spat out, "Daaaamn Maxie. She is ready to lock you down. Or are _you_ the one? I don't blame you. Just don't scare off that princess of yours."

"I think we both feel the same. So we'll keep it slow for now. Someday we'll...um, do more...I just have no idea what I would do with her."

"Like you haven't imagined it in your head a million times?" Vi looked at her skeptically.

"Well, sure...I just...never _did_...any of _that_ with...anyone. What if I mess up?"

"Of course you haven't, you sweet baby gay. Let momma gay show you the way. She looked around and then came close to Max before covering her mouth and whispering in the brunette's ear.

When Kate came out, she saw Max look a little wide eyed while Vi was patting her on the back before the taller girl looked slyly over to the blonde. Her expression changed to a delighted surprise, noticing Kate in her outfit.

Max also suddenly became aware of her girlfriend in her costume that revealed more skin than she usually did and said, "Wow, Katie, you look..." She couldn't find the words.

Vi finished them for her, saying, "You look like you're ready to burn some fucking Lannisters and look hot as shit while doing it."

"Yeah...what she said," Max added.

Kate smiled at the compliments, but also looked away shyly. The way Max looked at her affected her more than Vi's words.

Vi said, "Looks like that's a keeper. What about you, Maxie? We still need to find you something."

They browsed around again and Vi shouted, "Ah ha!" She pulled out a helmet and declared, "Daft punk, oh yes, harder better faster mother fucking stronger!" She then realized the other two were staring and said, "Oh sorry, this is for me too. I think I'm going to do a breaking bad mashup with this shit. Sorry Max! We'll find you something. Maybe we can make you a dragon! Couple costumes are so corny but you two gaybies are made for it."

Max shared an apprehensive look with Kate and said, "That's okay. I think maybe next year we can try that...I'm low on funds anyways, so maybe something simple?"

"Hmm...simple..." Vi pondered this new line of thinking and wandered down an aisle by herself. Max and Kate slowly began to follow, but as they turned a corner, Vi was already coming back. She held a long plastic axe. "You have a black and red flannel?"

Max blinked and said, "I think I do..."

"Perfect, you're a lumberjack. I have boots too if you need them. Might be big, but they'll work for one night."

Memories of wearing Rachel's clothes came back to Max and she started to get worked up, but then she also recalled back to her vision of the girl at the tobanga and a calming peace came over her. Somehow she felt this was okay, or even more so, was fitting. Max nodded. "Okay, lumberjack it is."

"Or lumberjane," Kate jumped in and then said, "Have either of you read the comic?"

Max and Vi looked at each other and the older girl shrugged.

"Oh...um...it's good," she said quietly while looking to the side, then spoke louder, saying, "Anyways, I think I'd love that look on you, Max."

"Come on...you can call her Em around me..." Vi said nudging Kate gently with a smirk.

Kate bit her lip while looking down and said, "Okay..." then turned to Max and said, "So...what do you think, Em?"

Max took the axe from Vi and turned it to look at the price. Once she identified it, she said, "This will work."

"Let me change back real quick," Kate said and rushed off.

Vi turned to the brunette and said, "Hey Maxie, I actually thought of something you could do right now that I think you both would love and be at your current slow roll." She got closer and Max listened as she whispered one last piece of advice. They were already done talking when Kate got back.

"Alright ladies, let's hit it!" Vi said cheerfully and led the way with helmet and yellow costume in hand.

Max and Kate followed. They walked side by side and the brunette was surprised to find the other take her arm and lean her head on her shoulder. Max did not want to say or do anything to accidentally make it stop, so silently walked with her enjoying the feeling of being an obvious couple in that moment. Once near the register, Kate broke her hold though. She reached for her bag, but Max gently kept her hand from going inside and said, "I got this."

"No, Em...you said-"

"I know, but let me do this. It'd make me happy."

Kate smiled warmly and said, "Okay, love. This time..."

Max who paid for the costume along with her own accessory, then Vi paid for hers. They had items in bags and got walked out the door. Before getting to the car, Vi asked, "So...what other plans do you lovebirds have?"

Max spoke up first, saying, "Well, we are heading up to see my parents tomorrow. We're surprising them actually."

Vi put her hands out as if to stop Max from doing something. "Wait wait...is this the coming out of the closet and hey, this is my girlfriend deadly combo we're talking about?"

Max looked at Kate and then back to the older girl and said, "Uh...yeah? I guess so."

"No way! That's huge! What's your...expectations? What are the odds this is going to be a good trip?"

"Well it won't start out great."

Before Vi could ask, Kate said, "We have no car, so we need to take the bus."

"Shiiiiiiiit," Vi said with an apologetic look.

"Yeah," Max said and continued, "But I think it will be okay. My parents...they're pretty liberal. I don't know how much they expected this though. So, we'll see." She turned to Kate, suddenly realizing she might be worrying her and added, "But I'm sure they'll love Katie. I mean they already do. They met her...just as my friend though."

"Friend? Well that's the underfucking statement of the year."

Kate and Max shared a smile.

Vi turned the blonde and asked, "And what about your parents?"

Kate froze for a moment and then immediately began tearing up. Her lip quivered as she said, "Y-you didn't tell her?"

Max looked at her compassionately with concern and put her arms around the now trembling girl.

Max quietly replied, "It wasn't my story to tell."

"I love you so much, Em," Kate said looking lovingly at her through her pain before burying her head into the brunette.

Vi looked mortified. "Oh shit. I'm...I'm so sorry, Kate..." She knew enough of what happened just with Kate's reaction and was not going to ask anything else right now.

Max responded for her, saying, "You didn't know."

The older girl could just make out a muffled, "It's okay, Vi," as Kate whimpered her own reply.

Vi looked down in thought and said, "Fuck it. We have to turn that frown upside down and Momma gay is not letting her babies take the bus. You guys take my car instead."

"What?" both Max and Kate said at the same time. Kate spoke as she brought her head up from the brunette.

"No...we couldn't..." Max began.

"You can, you will, you are. How long does a bus take? All day?"

"Half a day..." Max said quietly.

"Half a fucking day! I bet you could get there in half the time in my car."

Kate also tried to politely decline and said, "Vi, you are so sweet but-"

"Quiet, my children! Momma has spoken. Okay!?" She pointed a finger at them, waiting for them to continue to protest, but this finally stopped them. She continued, saying as she looked back and forth between the couple, "Now...please fucking tell me one of you can drive."

"I can..." Max said. "My dad taught me and I got my license, but I haven't driven in a while..."

"That's perfect. You'll be fine. I just might want to...have you do a practice drive."

"Vi, I promise I won't crash or even scratch your car."

"Fuck the car!" Vi said almost too intensely and catching her own outburst said very calmly, "I mean...I don't care if my car is banged up to shit. I just want you two to be okay. That's what matters, right?"

The two nodded, unsure how to take her sudden mood swing. Vi then added, "Besides, you saw my car. It's a piece of crap. Anything you did would be an improvement."

Max came up to the older girl and said, "Thank you, Vi. You are amazing." She hesitated for a moment, but then went for the hug. Vi froze and pretended to be annoyed, but couldn't pretend long and returned the embrace, saying, "Of course, Maxie. You're more like me than you know. I can't help but to help." She then felt Kate jump in, squeezing her from behind. Vi exclaimed, "Whoa angel, you two are really ruining my street cred. You're lucky you're my new favorite couple, otherwise I'd be pushing you off or expecting some necking by now."

"We love you too, Vi," Kate said and they all let go.

Vi spoke, saying, "Let me know how it goes and call if you need anything. Advice and shit, or whatever.

"We will," Max replied.

"Alright. Let's get you formally introduced to Betty."

"You named your car?" Max asked.

"No, that's just it's name," Vi replied with a smile.

"Betty, like Betty Davis?" Kate guessed.

"You know it, angel. Or Betty Rubble. Both hot. Now let's get started!" She handed Max her keys, who gulped and took them. Vi then said, "Be gentle with her, but show her who's boss." She winked at Kate though and then headed over to her car. The two shared a look that turned into flirtatious smiles before they followed.


	27. Chapter 27

When they reached the car, Vi unlocked the doors and sat in the front passenger seat with the other two right behind her. As they approached Betty, Vi said, "Hope you don't mind, angel. I need to sit up here with Maxie to copilot."

"Of course," Kate said cheerfully and sat behind Vi so she could better see Max in the driver's seat. The bags of costumes were tossed beside her on the other side. The plastic axe stuck out awkwardly from one bag.

Max came around the other side and looked hesitantly through the window at the steering wheel for a moment, then opened the door slowly. She sat down and Vi thrust out the keys and said, "Here you go! Betty's in your hands...and feet too I guess. Wait no, just one foot. No one uses both feet, unless it's manual do they?"

"Oh thank dog, it's automatic. I wasn't even paying attention before," Max said looking down.

Vi grinned and said, "Relax, Maxie. You'll be fine. Now start that engine." Kate wanted to say something supportive, but guessed anything would just add pressure, so she stayed silent.

Max put the key in the ignition and turned. The car roared to life and she took a deep breath.

Vi held her chin and then tapped her head before saying, "Okay, now that I'm thinking about it more, maybe I should get us to a parking lot first and then you start there? Or are you good?"

Max didn't think that simply driving would impress Kate, but having to start off in a parking lot would be a little embarrassing. She went against her better judgement to seem confident to her girlfriend. "I'm good."

"Okay..." Vi said hesitantly, sensing her apprehension, but instructed Max, saying, "So just drive down this street for a while. Don't worry about turning anywhere."

"'Kay, sounds good...I can do that."

With her foot still on the break pedal, Max looked for a moment for the parking break and then released it. She put the car into drive and checked for incoming cars, but saw none. No more excuses to not to get going now, she thought. Max slowly pressed down on the gas pedal and they were moving.

After a few seconds, Max felt completely sure of herself. It really was like riding a bike, she thought with relief.

"Doing good, Maxie," Vi said.

"Yeah, I got it now." She didn't know why she was so worried. As they continued straight down the road, Kate made small talk with Vi, trying not to distract Max, just in case.

"So what does your band sound like?" Kate asked.

"Well...I have to admit...we are less punk or metal than I'd like...actually not at all...okay, confession time..." She sighed and said, "We're a post-rock band..."

Kate and Max were both smiling at her odd embarrassment. Vi had her head in her hands.

"I play synth keyboard for god's sake. Where did I go wrong?!" Her hands flourished out in exasperation, revealing a smile with eyes squeezed shut tight.

Kate put her hand on Vi's shoulder from behind and said, "I'm sure you're great, punk or not."

Vi tilted her head and said, "Actually...there's a thing I'm working on in the CD player...it's short as shit, but that's why I'm listening to it all the time to figure out where to go with it. It'll give you some idea of our sound."

She turned on the CD player and started the song sample.

"I like it," Max said sincerely.

"Yeah, what's it called?" Kate asked.

"No name. No words yet either. But yeah...this music is honestly my true musical self, or at least my roots. I wasn't always the badass I am today," Vi said, turning around to have a side view of Kate.

The blonde asked, "And where do you go to learn that?"

Vi's gaze went down and far away while a flash of melancholy hung there for a moment. Kate could have sworn their new friend's eyes were glassy, but then Vi faced forward and cleared her throat before saying, "Just kidding, I was always a badass. I'm not kidding about the music though. But I'm _still_ a badass."

"The baddest," Max said, still looking forward.

"Thanks, Maxie. You know what's up. It's like, how many-"

Before she could finish her sentence a car from a cross street on the right suddenly appeared ahead of them, about to end up right in their path and Max's hand went automatically up. Time paused for a moment and then pulled back to a few seconds before the car appeared. Max barely got over the shock to recall what just happened and quickly changed to the left lane, just before the car started zipping into the main road.

Vi shouted out "Oh shit! Fucking hell," then aggressively honked the horn for Max before continuing, saying, "Fuck, that was close. Maxie...your reflexes are insane."

"Uh, j-just lucky." Max quickly wiped at her nose as a few drops of blood came down. It seemed to happen every time now, the brunette realized. She wondered if she really needed to use her powers this time, thinking the car might have missed them anyways.

Vi said slowly while staring off, "You started moving over before I could even see the car. That...that was..." Vi suddenly started crying silently and put her hand to her face. Max noticed and looked over a moment with concern, but had to continue looking forward as she drove.

Max asked compassionately, "What's wrong? Vi?"

She did not answer.

Kate stared at the weeping girl and then touched her shoulder as Max again said, "Vi?"

"Nothing! Fuck, I'm fine!" the older girl snapped as she slammed down her right fist against the side of the door.

Kate pulled her hand back and the car was quiet for a few minutes. The mood was tense, but slowly settled down.

Out of the silence Vi sniffled and said, "Fuck, I'm hungry. Let's go stop somewhere and eat."

"Anywhere in mind?" Max asked, deciding to not ask about the tears since Vi seemed to want to move on.

"Yeah...sandwiches okay?" the older girl proposed.

"Sure," Max said right away, ready to say yes to any place.

"Yeah, a sandwich sounds good," Kate chimed in.

"So agreeable. You two are the easiest friends to eat out with..." She smirked. "Hmm, nah, too easy."

Max and Kate shared a look through the rearview mirror. Kate shrugged and made a face that basically said, _at_ _least_ _she_ _seems_ _happy_ _again_. The blonde then narrowed her eyes and leaned in to look closer in the mirror. Max returned her stare with confusion, but then it hit her and she took a hand off the steering wheel to feel under her nose. There was another drop of blood that had dripped down above her lip. She wiped this one away too, but neither girls spoke about it.

Vi continued, "So, Erik's Deli is just a few minutes back into town. I'll show you the way."

Max followed Vi's directions and they arrived at the deli. Once parked and out, Max gave back the keys and asked, "How'd I do?"

Vi thrust the keys down into her jean pocket and said with uncharacteristic solemness, "Perfect, Max. You did great."

Max wondered if she said something wrong or what happened to make Vi talk this way. Before she could think of the right words to address it, Vi again returned to her usual self and said, "Now let's get in there before hangry Vi comes out again." She led the way.

Kate walked side by side with Max. They both had the same concerned look that went from each other to Vi. Nothing more could be expressed for now. Kate did take her girlfriend's hand and squeezed it. Max looked to her and the blonde motioned something with her head. She was nervously fiddling with her cross necklace. When the freckled girl did not seem to understand, Kate wiped under her own nose with emphasis.

Max's eyes widened and she whispered, "I'm sorry...I _had_ to..."

Kate frowned but appeared to accept her answer. Vi whipped around and said, "What now? Secrets? Momma don't like those..."

Both girls had a little panic in their eyes, and Kate quickly stumbled through a reply, "Oh, um...Max has a condition where um, her nose bleeds. She likes to hide it from me. Doesn't want me to worry, but...she really _shouldn't_ do that..." The blonde turned to her girlfriend with a scolding expression.

Max looked guiltily down, not needing to act. "Sorry Katie...I was going to tell you later..."

Kate sighed, feeling bad that she made Max feel bad. Putting her hand to Max's cheek, she said, "It's okay. Just remember, love, you don't need to hide anything."

Max looked up at her and then back down as she said sheepishly, "I know..."

Vi jumped back into the conversation and said, "Miss K is right. Open communication. That shit is golden."

Kate dropped her hand down from her girlfriend's cheek as Vi patted Max on the back. The older girl rested her hand on the brunette's shoulder and said, "So...it's nothing serious, is it?"

"Umm...no...I'm fine." Max wasn't sure how much she believed her own answer.

"Good good," she said with a toothy grin. "Now enough of this, let's get in there!"

The three girls entered the deli and after some suggestions from Vi, made their orders. It was _momma_ Vi's treat today, she insisted.

When they had gotten their food, they found a booth inside and sat down. Max really put an effort into eating. The freckled girl didn't want to let Kate down, but she also didn't want the blonde to call her out in front of Vi. After a few ferocious bites of her sandwich, the older girl said, "So, I bet you're glad I'm here, huh?"

The other two girls looked at her uncertainly, not sure if she was being sarcastic or was referencing that she paid for them.

Vi explained, "You know...so you can sit next to each other..."

Max thought to the hand she held below the table, as well as the foot she was playing footsies with, and definitely agreed with Vi.

Kate looked to the side embarrassed by the truth being spoken out loud.

Max said, "Oh...um, yeah...thanks for that..."

Vi took another bite and halfway through chewing it said, "I know it's scary for you baby gays, but you'll be happier when you stop hiding it. What do we do about the haters? Fuck 'em. That's what we say to them. Fuck you and mind your own god damn business."

Kate spoke up and said, "I know I seem shy about it, but I'm just waiting for...one thing to happen in a few days and then I'll be a lot less afraid." She didn't want to have to explain her wanting to go to church one last time. Kate was uncertain Vi would understand.

The older girl said, "Cryptic, but I'll let it be. As long as I get a good report from Maxie after these few days have passed."

"You will," Kate said quietly but with confidence as she gave a faint smile.

Max changed the subject saying, "And what about you, Vi? When are we going to fill in that other side of the table?"

Vi smiled as if amused, but there was a far off look and her cheerfulness was fading just before she adjusted herself in her seat and said, "Probably never. I don't do serious like you two love birds. I am all for it, just not for me. Not in the cards." She shrugged.

"What? Why not?" Kate asked, almost seemingly hurt by Vi's declaration.

"I'm just not made for it. Don't worry though, I have my fun. It's better this way. I'm too restless anyways. Speaking of, I'm getting a refill." The older girl got up with her drink and went to the soda fountain.

When she got back she said, "So...Maxie, when and how do you plan on telling your parentals?" and sat down, taking a large sip of her drink.

"Oh..." She looked to Kate and said, "I haven't even talked to Katie about it, but..." She paused and looked to her girlfriend for approval.

Kate said, "Go ahead, I want to know now too if you already have a plan."

"Okay...well, I was thinking that Friday, tomorrow I guess, shit, it _is_ tomorrow...um, that we just hang out and get comfortable. Then Saturday I just sort of tell them sometime early when it feels right."

Vi said, "Hell of a plan, Maxie. Sounds as thought out as any of mine...that's _not_ good by the way."

Max bit her lip as Vi continued, saying, "So, you said this is a surprise visit, right? I'm guessing you never just pop in like this without warning, so if you do this, they're going to be wondering what the reason is and ta-da!" Vi motioned with her hand to Kate. "There's the reason. If they're anything close to the educated suburban yuppies they sound like from what you've told me, they'll be smart enough to at least consider this girl you brought up might be more than a friend. And they saw you two recently?"

Max nodded as she took in Vi's insightful but worrisome points.

"Well shit, you two send more signals than you know what to do with, but maybe you don't try to hide it around me. Still...not sure you will get to have a casual Friday if you just show up out of no where."

Max frowned and said, "Ah, damn, Vi...you're right. Well...I guess I can call them today and just say I missed them and ask if Katie could come."

"You might not want to say _Katie_ though," Vi said with a smirk. "It might seem normal, but the way you say it sometimes...just screams how insanely gay you are for this beautiful creature."

Both of the other girls blushed and looked at each other with a loving glance.

"And you can't do _that_ either!" Vi said grinning.

"Yeah...um, obviously," Max said, trying to show some confidence in her ability to control herself.

"Okay, so do it," Vi said, crossing her arms.

"Wha...?" Max said confused.

"Call!"

"Now?"

"Yes now. I want to see you do this right."

"Um...sure..." Max did not feel ready at all, but again, wanted to seem confident to Kate. The blonde squeezed her hand in support and smiled. Max took a deep breath and got her phone out, considering which parent to call. Like many people now, her parents got rid of their landline. She had to choose. Max dialed her dad and waited nervously for him to pick up.

The ringing stopped and her dad said, "Hey, kiddo! Everything alright?"

"Oh, yeah. Everything's fine. I guess I don't um, call enough do I?"

"I was young too, Max. I get it," Ryan said cheerfully.

"You were young?" Max joked.

"Believe it or not. Your mom forgets, but it's true. So...what's going on out there?"

"Well...actually I was thinking of coming by tomorrow to visit. Maybe stay the night and leave the next day. Is that okay?"

"Visit? Is that okay? Of course! Your mother will be thrilled. When do you plan on being here?"

"Probably...early afternoon or so. I think you both should be off work then."

"I'll try to leave early just in case. Wait, how are you getting here? Bus?"

"A friend let us borrow her car."

"Us?"

Max mentally kicked herself for letting it slip before she meant to talk about who was coming with her. "Uh yeah...do you mind if Kate comes too?"

"Your friend we met? Of course, no problem at all. I know your mother wouldn't mind. Especially if you can convince Kate to bring her violin," Ryan said ending with a chuckle.

"Yeah, I'll ask. Great...well, I guess we'll see you tomorrow then. I have to get going now, actually."

"Oh, sure thing, Max. Your mother is out right now, otherwise you know I'd be obligated to force you to stay on the line until she had her turn. Can't wait to see you again soon and your friend, Kate. Tell her we said hi. Okay, I'll let you go. Love you, Max."

"Love you too, dad."

The call ended.

Vi said, "Love you too, dad? That was some of the most wholesome shit I ever heard. Wish _my_ dad knew the word. Actually, never mind. I just wish he was _dead_." Vi laughed with good humor and a touch of disturbance in her voice. It sounded very normal coming from her. Seeing the two look at her not knowing how to react, she said, "Oh sorry, wrong audience. So Maxie...not bad. Looks like you are set. Now I'd like to recommend, maybe just going in one of your closets and then yelling until your parents came over, then come out with Kate and say '_get_ _it?' _But that's just me."

"Thanks, but...I think I'll just do it my way," Max said.

"So boring, but probably smarter. Did not work out so well for me..."

The three talked a little more and then were done eating.

Vi signaled for them to leave, saying, "Alright, so let's get me over to Riley, so I can be on my way and let you girls get ready for tomorrow."

"Riley? That's your motorcycle?"

"You got it, Maxie."

Kate asked, "Who's that one named after?"

Vi paused with a serious expression and said quietly, "Just...someone else." She then said while getting up, "Time to go children! Let's roll!"

She stepped out and did not wait for the other two, but walked straight to the door. They quickly scooted out and followed, catching up as Vi reached the exit. The trio got in the car and headed back to Vi's place.


	28. Chapter 28

They arrived at Vi's place a few minutes later, ending up in a neighborhood that was not especially affluent, but was solidly middle class and had a good amount of space between the houses. Betty was parked in front of a house at the end of the cul-de-sac.

"Don't get too excited, angel. My place is the little shit behind here. That casita chilling out by itself."

"I'm sure it's still nice," Kate said.

Vi shrugged before saying, "It doubles as our studio, and we can play as loud as we want and no one complains, so I guess I won't either. Miss K, remind me to get you over here with your violin someday soon. We have a track that is begging for strings."

Kate looked a little surprised by the offer and said, "Oh...I'm not sure I could really just come up with something, but...I guess I could try."

"Of course you can! You'll do great, angel," Vi said cheerfully.

"I've never done anything like this before..." Kate began.

Vi waved her hand and said, "Don't sweat it. No one will give you a hard time. No expectations. The same way I try to live my life."

This seemed to ease Kate's concern and she said, "Okay, maybe I'll try it."

"Fanfuckingtastic," Vi said cheerfully but then noticed Max was staring out the window with some concern.

Before she could ask, the brunette said, "Uh...Vi...that guy's at your place and he's staring right at us..."

While Kate ducked low, the older girl whipped her head around to look and peered our across the gravel path that led next to the small house where she lived.

There was a man who appeared to have just come around the side of the building and was now casually waiting at the door. All Max could tell was he wore a jacket with jeans and had a hat. He also had a short beard that he scratched.

Vi growled low in frustration and said, "Hold on..."

She got out and yelled, "What are you doing here yah dip head?"

The man tilted his head, seeming to struggle hearing her words.

"Fucking hell..." Vi muttered and walked down towards him. The man moved too and met her halfway. Max and Kate exchanged looks as Vi started walking and it seemed they agreed that they were not going to let her go by herself, though both did not hide their reluctance. They stood a few feet behind Vi.

Now fairly close, they could see the man was in his twenties. He seemed mostly friendly, though slightly annoyed.

"What's up, Vi? What were you shouting?"

"I said why are you here right now, _dip_ head."

"What do you mean? Uh, Vi...practice?"

"Fuck you, moron, practice is on Thursday."

"It _is _Thursday."

Vi looked back to the other girls. Kate looked away and Max nodded while looking down to the side.

"Ah, shit." She put her hand to her head, as if the realization gave her a headache. After a couple seconds, she threw her hand down and said, "I knew that. Well, fucking hell, I guess I'm practicing right now. Ladies, this is Roland. Roly, this is Max and Kate, my new favorite couple." Vi suddenly jerked her head over to Kate and sid, "Oh shit, angel, I'm sorry. I forgot we were keeping that on the QT for a few days still. You don't have to worry about Roly though. He's gone for days without saying a word before."

Roland gave Vi a look that said she might have been exaggerating at the least, but then smiled to the other two girls and said, "Nice to meet you."

They returned the greeting and there was an awkward silence.

Vi spoke up and said, "Fuck, you are extra serious today, Roly. Wait...where the fuck is Liz?"

"She's always late to practice, you know that."

Vi scowled. "Okay okay...well, girls," she looked to them while shrugging off her embarrassment and said, "I guess you guys can take off in the car. I will get a ride with Roly to the gig. That's why we're practicing. I remember that much! Dates are the only numbers I screw up, I swear. Anyways, if you want, you can come see us tonight."

"Really?" Roland asked in surprise.

"Yeah _really. _Why _the_ _fuck_ not?!" Vi exploded, throwing her hand up.

"Uh...how old are they?"

"Fuck!" She put her hand to her head again in exasperation. "I'm really having an off day today. Add ages to the kind of numbers I fuck up."

Roland spoke compassionately, saying, "That's okay, Vi. Tomorrow's the day, isn't it? I-"

"Just shut the fuck up and don't you say another god damn word."

"Sorry, Vi..." Roland stared down shamefully and stayed silent.

Vi glared at him for a few seconds and then slightly softened her gaze before saying, "Let's just get started. We'll be ready by the time Liz fucking gets here." She turned to the girls and said in her normal friendly, but sassy tone, "Well fuck, sorry ladies. I...hmm..." She thought a moment and said, "Actually...I think I can get you in. I'm going to call in a favor and sneak you two through, just have to keep you in the back."

Kate looked a little fearful to say the least, and Max initially showed hesitation as well, but then thought of all the trouble she got into with Chloe and this would be one of the least crazy things out of all of them. She nodded and said, "Let's do it."

She felt Kate grab her hand and looked back to see her concerned face. Max leaned in to whisper, "Don't worry, it'll be fine. The worst they'll probably do is kick us out." She still looked concerned, so Max added, "I'll take care of you, Katie. I promise."

This seemed to satisfy her girlfriend who nodded and let go of her hand so Max could face forward again. Seeing the exchange, Vi asked, "Are we good?"

The brunette said, "Yeah. We're in. So where's this at?"

Vi got her phone out and said, "I'll text you the address. It's at The Crabapple over by the docks. Not sure the crowd will be there for us, if there _is_ any crowd, but a gig's a gig. Just tell Danny in the front your name and he'll get you in."

"We'll be there."

"An audience of two. We've played for less," Vi said smiling. "Okay, I'm going to get this knucklehead in there and set up."

Vi grabbed Roland and put him in a headlock which he seemed to allow relecuctantly. She ruffled up his hair and he gave a half-hearted effort to protect his head. She finally let go and said, "See you guys there at eight. Actually...hmm, come at six or seven to make sure you get that spot in the back. There's a pretty secluded spot behind a pillar." She winked at the girls. Both looked at each other shyly and smiled awkwardly.

"Arg, they're so cute it hurts." She grabbed Roland's arm without looking and squeezed his skin in a large pinch, causing him to yelp in pain and then say, "Fuck! No _that_ hurts!" and pulled his arm free.

"Sorry, Roly. You don't know what these two do to me."

Roland rubbed his arm and said quietly, almost solemnly, "I get it, Vi."

The older girl flashed him a dirty look and slapped his chest with her arm before saying, "Let's get started already!" She walked past him and shouted over her shoulder, "See you tonight. Take care of Betty!"

"Thanks, Vi! See you later!" Max called back.

"Have a good practice!" Kate added.

Once Vi and Roland had disappeared back into her place, the couple made their way over to the car. Max saw that no one was around. Kate seemed to notice it too, and took the brunette's hand in her own, intertwining their fingers. Max quietly asked, "Someday, all the time?"

"Yes, Em. Very soon. I promise," Kate replied with a smile. Max returned it, with just a touch of melancholy. She yearned to express her love freely.

"So..." Max began. "We have a while to kill before the show.

"Let's take a drive. Before we go to the show, let's fill up the tank so we can just go straight home, then take off as soon as we're ready tomorrow."

"Thank dog I have you. You think ahead."

Kate grinned at the compliment and said, "We take care of each other."

Max returned the smile and squeezed the other's hand. Kate slid her thumb down and made circles in the freckled girl's palm.

"I love when you do that..." Max whispered loud enough for her to hear and sighed with pleasure.

"I know you do," Kate said grinning. "I think everyone knows now..." she added with a widening smile.

Max shot her a look, but was smiling and said, "Katie!"

"I'm kidding, Em. There's a small chance your parents didn't hear in the car."

"Katie!" Max tilted her head and gave her another look.

"Okay, Okay. I don't really think they heard. I love teasing you though."

"Yes you do..."

There was a carnal yearning in their shared look. Their gaze was broken though when they reached the car. Max reluctantly let go of Kate to unlock the door. She opened the passenger side for her girlfriend and closed it when she was safely inside. Coming around to get in, she then said, "So, just drive?"

"Yeah, Em. Anywhere is fine. Let's just end up back at Blackwell so I can feed Alice. We can get gas after."

"Got it."

Max started the car and they headed off. She decided to just do a circle around the town, and try to stay clear of too much people. After a minute of driving, Max suddenly felt Kate's hand on her lap. It startled her, but she mostly hid her reaction, only inhaling a sharp intake of breath and twitching slightly. Kate's delicate hand rest in the middle of Max's thigh. The brunette felt her body tingle, but she _really_ started to feel something happening inside of herself when her girlfriend began slowly stroking her thigh up and down. Kate's fingers were slowly inching ever higher and toward the inward part of her leg and Max could barely keep still, and soon couldn't. Subtly squirming in her seat, Max bit her lip and her breathing became rapid. The blonde was not touching anywhere beyond her thigh, but the proximity was driving the freckled girl wild. Before Max knew it was happening, a slickness grew between her legs. She couldn't handle it anymore and when she realized what was happening, started to worry about her excitement below showing through her clothes worse than the stiffening nipples that poked against her thin bra.

"Uh...K-Katie..."

"Yes, Em?" Kate replied, sounding like she knew exactly what she was doing to her girlfriend.

"I'm going to pull over here and go to the bathroom, okay?"

Kate first seemed put off or hurt by the sudden ending of their intimate moment. "Oh...sure. No problem." There was a pause, then she asked with surprise at a sudden assumption, "Wait...did you...?"

Max covered the right side of her increasingly red face to shield her eyes from Kate. It took her a second to reply. She said, "Um...no...but..." She didn't want to speak it out loud, but went on, saying, "...something was uh...starting to happen..."

Kate's eyes grew wide and she then said with her voice easing into a tone of sensualality, "Oh wow, Em...that's...that's _so...__hot__." _Shewas shocked in the best of ways and then completely exhilarated with delicious satisfaction over what she caused.

"So embarrassing..." the brunette mumbled.

"No, no, love," Kate said, quickly changing her tone to be comforting. She took Max's hand from her face and held it. "Never be ashamed of how much you want me. You have no idea what it does to me, is uh...still doing. I...might have to join you in the bathroom, just in case."

Max smiled, thankful for Kate not teasing her at this point and declaring she was having the same experience, certain or not. She began to know how Kate was feeling, but tried to ignore it since she was attempting to come down from those feelings, not stir them up again.

Kate continued, saying, "I know we haven't started kissing again yet, but I didn't know touching you that way would do _that_... okay, I had _some_ idea but, um...it just was a lot more so than I thought I guess, but...later...when we are doing anything and _everything_ with each other...I want you to enjoy it and know that your pleasure is _my_ pleasure, because it is. So don't ever be embarrassed by it. Just know how much I _love_ it."

Max took in Kate's words for a second and said, "I know I've never had a girlfriend before...but you're seriously the best girlfriend."

Kate beemed, but said, "Like I have any experience..."

"No, you're just naturally perfect."

Kate shook her head, still smiling. "I'm not perfect..."

"Not with that attitude. I guess I'll have to spend the rest of my life convincing you."

Kate brought Max's hand to her lips and kissed her palm, then brought it to rest against her own cheek. The blonde sighed with contentment and said, "I love you."

"I love you too, Katie."

They drove a little while longer without speaking, but just held hands and spoke through the slight movements of their fingers, grasping and caressing.

After they stopped at a store to use the bathroom, they continued on and time flew as they talked and drove. Somewhere during their drive, Vi texted the address and Max handed her phone to Kate to have her reply a quick thanks for the info. Eventually they stopped at Blackwell where Alice was fed. They still had a good amount of time, so the girls watched Spirited Away in Kate's room, snuggling close. Max again feared she would have to run to the bathroom, but this was not the first time she intertwined her legs with her now girlfriend. She felt something might have been happening, but wasn't sure. It was definitely more intense when fingers were sliding ever closer to a place where only her own ever visited. She got through the movie without incident and they decided to just grab food from the cafeteria for dinner.

Max picked out her own sandwich, not yet sick of them today and ate almost all of it. She almost fell out of her chair when Kate bent over to whisper in her ear that she was being such a good girl. The blonde's smile was wickedly mischievous as she somehow made her next bite of her salad seem sensual. The metaphor, intended or not, was not lost on Max. She wondered how they were possibly going to behave in front of her parents.

After eating, they headed out and got gas before then driving to The Crabapple. It was a little run down in this part of town. They parked in a nearby side street and walked over to the entrance. A clean cut man with a shirt tight enough to clearly show his muscles stood at the door.

They walked up to him and Max decided to take the lead. She said, "Um...Danny?"

"And you are?" he asked with suspicion.

"Max? And Kate?"

"Oh!" He looked around and talked low. "Hey girls. Yeah, Vi told me about you. Now...I can get you in, but don't go near the bar, do not talk to anybody, and stay in the back...got it?"

Both girls nodded.

"Thank god you're not like Vi. I was afraid I'd have to argue with two of that crazy bitch." Seeing their reaction, he added, "Oh, love her, she is the best, but she's also something else..." He chucked a little, but cleared his throat and became serious again as he said, "For reals though girls, this could cost me my job, so don't fuck around in there, okay?"

"Got it," Max replied, not sure what he meant by _fuck_ _around_. He nodded, seeming to feel he had made is point and said, "Okay, so go to the back left corner behind the pillar. There's a table there. Just stay until the end and then just leave straight out the door. Okay?"

Max tried to express her earnestness that they would be cautious and follow his instructions. "I promise we'll stay there quietly and then leave."

He looked them both over once and nodded. "Okay, go on in. Don't make me regret it."

As they both nodded and passed through the entrance, Max wondered what favor Vi did for him. Another band had just finished their practice and were taking down their gear. The girls ignored them and made a beeline to the table in the back corner. It was a high one with black beat up bar stools. Each was littered with stickers. Max helped Kate up and then hopped in the other.

Kate said, "I've never been to a show like this."

"I've been to few in Seattle. Arcadia Bay doesn't get a lot of love from outside bands. There's not much of a music scene here, so I'm not surprised you never went to a show."

"Isn't this a show?"

"I guess you're right. Maybe I just never knew where to look. Or maybe just wasn't old enough to be able to look," she added quietly.

Kate smiled and said, "Well, I'm glad my first show is with you."

Max said, "Wish it could be both our firsts."

"Oh, we'll have plenty of those," Kate said and put her hand on Max's lap.

"Katie!" Max whispered loudly with her eyes growing large.

Kate smiled teasingly and said, "Sorry, I had to," and removed her hand. She immediately put it back though and whispered, "You like it though, right?"

Max looked at her and then down at the table as she said, "You have no idea..."

"Oh, I have _some _idea and I'm eager to know the full extent...but I'll be a good girl for you...for now." She removed her hand and then said in her normal tone, "Seriously though, Em, if I make you uncomfortable, let me know. Okay?"

Max smiled adoringly at Kate and said, "You're so sweet Katie, but yeah...I'm not quite ready to make another bathroom run so quick." She looked apologetically over to her girlfriend.

Kate quickly said, "That's fine, love. We'll just save it for later." She smiled and moved her hand to hold Max's, both brought down low, between them. Max lovingly returned her smile and their eyes expressed their love.

They chatted a while until people started slowly trickling in. It was not packed, but it was definitely harder to hear each other, especially when they blasted music from various speakers around the room before the show started. It was past 8:00 PM and Max explained to Kate how shows always start late. It was only a few minutes later though when Vi, Roland, another girl that they assumed was Liz, came out and started setting up. Max could see Vi give them a look and smiled, but then returned to her work. After a few more short minutes, Vi went up to the microphone and said, "Hey, we're The Screw Ups. Let's start with something happy." With that, she began playing on her keyboard and the show began.

Max and Kate watched, fascinated to see Vi in action. It was different than listening to her music in the car. She showed a different side to herself sometimes, almost becoming vulnerable, even in her anger during fiercer parts. There was often a contrast between some of the more cheerful music and how Vi sang that somehow worked.

On the last song, Vi simply said before starting, "This one's for you," as she closed her eyes, then went right into it.

They stayed through the other two bands until the final song ended. During this time, they saw Vi and her band at the bar, then Vi was later up in the front of the stage. She seemed into the music, but Max swore her face sometimes looked pained. When the last song played, they headed out, hoping Vi would catch them outside.


	29. Chapter 29

The couple walked out into the cold air and all Max could think about was how much she wanted to hold Kate as an excuse for warmth, or vice versa. She didn't know Kate was thinking the exact same thing. They paused a few feet outside the door, remembering they were going to see if Vi came out. Sure enough, she appeared with Roland and Liz. Vi's eyes lit up when she saw the girls.

"My babies are still here!"

Roland reached out in a futile attempt to stop her when she lunged at them. The way she walked and smelled made it apparent she'd been drinking. Soon her speech began to indicate it as well.

She stumbled through some words as she said, "My sweet babies came to see me play." Vi hung on either girl's shoulder, then pulled at their necks to come closer to her. They kept their heads up though and so Vi only was able to pull herself closer, placing her head in between them both. While looking down, Vi's slurring became more pronounced as she said, "Is it weird you're like my kids and my friends too? No, is not weird..." The girls did not have a chance to reply as she answered her own question.

Max confirmed her guess though, "It's not weird, Vi. Hey, so...you did great. We loved seeing you up there."

Kate added, "Yeah, it was my first real show."

Vi brought her head up and looked at Kate with a big grin. "I popped your concert cherry? Fuck yeah...oh, sorry Maxie Max. Should moved quicker..."

"She actually played guitar for me before..." Kate reluctantly mentioned.

"Oh, really!? A _private_ show. Miss Maxie you dirty dog. I knew you had it in you...so you were the first, good...that's good...just like it should be..."

Max and Kate had mixed feelings about that, the song being a grieving love song to Chloe. Luckily, Liz jumped in and the conversation shifted to her.

"Hi there. You two must be Max and Kate. I'm Liz," she said evenly. It was unclear if it was Vi or themselves that were making the jet black haired girl have her guard up. The brunette took a closer look at her. She seemed to have some Asian descent, but it was hard to place. Her hair was chin length with bangs. Her eyes were beautiful, but were currently almost stone cold.

Max said, "Hey, Liz."

Kate then said, "Hi, so nice to meet you, Liz. I love your band. You guys were great."

This actually perked Liz up and she leaned in to tell Roland quietly, "You hear that? _My _band_. _Viwould flip if she was sober." Her cheerfulness quickly faded as she looked back to Vi. Liz frowned and elbowed Roland. "Let's go get her home," she said loud enough for the girls to overhear.

Roland said, "Okay, Vi. Let's get your bike into the van with the gear and get you home."

"What? Why? Fuck dude, I'm not done loving my babies...they're so cute, look at them..."

"Sorry, Vi. It's time."

Vi pouted, but let Roland and Liz guide her away, still scowling at them all the while. She leaned heavily on her male friend and Liz actually hung back after getting her a few feet away.

"Bye Vi!" Max said.

Kate shouted, "Love you, Vi!"

They could just barely hear their friend say, "Bye, my babies!" They soon disappeared in the distance.

Liz addressed the girls, saying, "We're going to get her home, but I'm guessing I'll be seeing you around, so bye for now."

"Is she going to be okay?" Kate asked, concern pasted on her face.

"Yeah, she just can't be alone right now. I'll be staying with her tonight and tomorrow until I know she's okay."

Kate took Liz's hand to the other girl's surprise and held it with both of hers as she said, "Vi's lucky to have such a good friend." Kate's eyes were starting to tear up.

Liz looked confused at the emotional reaction coming from Kate and her walls came down a little as she said in a softer tone than before, "Oh...uh, yeah...of course...we love Vi." Kate nodded as she took back her hand.

Max saw the confusion and came a little closer to say, "Kate has...strong feelings about people in Vi's condition being taken care of..." Max hoped that was vague enough to not give away more information than Kate wanted to about her spiked drink experience.

Liz nodded, seeming to understand her sentiment at least. The girl sighed and it seemed she let go of some hidden tension. She said now, not just softly, but warmly as well, "It was great meeting you two. Don't worry about Vi. We'll take care of her. You just take care of Betty. I heard you're babysitting for the weekend."

Max spoke up, saying, "Part of it. We'll be back late Saturday."

"Vi sort of told us what's going on. Don't worry, we won't go telling the whole town. I hear you're not completely public yet. But good luck to you. Really. I hope it goes well. Just know we'll be here when you get back, whatever happens."

Max smiled and felt a little emotional. She had nerves about the trip, despite her high hopes all would end well. She said, "Thanks so much, Liz. I really appreciate it. I hope we get to hang out soon."

"I'm sure we will. _My_ band needs a stable audience." She winked and said, "Safe travels, Max." She turned to the blonde and said, "Kate," then smiled for the first time before walking swiftly in the direction Roland took Vi.

The couple reached Betty and got in.

"Shit," Max said as soon as she got in.

"What?" Kate asked and put a hand on her girlfriend's shoulder.

"Oh, I just forgot I need to reschedule my therapy session."

"Oh, yeah, I need to do that too."

"I guess we know what we're doing before we leave tomorrow."

"Yep," Kate said and smiled. She put her hand on the middle console palm up, inviting Max's to take it, which she did.

Max started off toward Blackwell and they were quiet for a little while. She broke the silence with a thought that her mind had been dwelling on.

"Katie...what do you think's going on with Vi? It sounds tomorrow's some anniversary of something bad."

"Yeah...I've been wondering about that too. I'm sure it has to do with her blow up in the car and some of those other weird moments. I think... she probably lost someone from an accident."

"I was thinking the same thing." Max couldn't help but to think about Chloe. All roads led more to Chloe than Rome it seemed. She didn't want to forget her, but she was trying to focus on Kate and the constant reminders made it hard.

Kate frowned and said, "I feel bad leaving now, but Liz will take care of her, right?"

Max squeezed her girlfriend's hand in reassurance and said, "I think so. She seems like a good friend. Roly, um, Roland too. He puts up with a lot from her."

"Yeah..." Kate said with yawn.

This made Max unwillingly copy the action. Kate said, "Tired, love?"

"You yawned first," Max said with a smirk.

"I know _I'm _tired. Just asking if you were too."

"Then yes. I'm ready to cuddle all night with the cutest girl in town."

"Oh really? Just the town?" Kate teased.

"I would say universe, but I didn't want it to get to your head."

"You already make me feel that way," Kate said as she brought Max's hand up to her lips to kiss it, before bringing it back down. They were silent most of the rest of the way home, content with their feelings of love and affection. Kate caressed Max's palm half to make sure she stayed awake and half because she loved doing it.

When they parked, Max opened the door for Kate who shook her head, but allowed it.

"You know. If I ever drive, I might just open the door for you," Kate said as a playful threat.

"Oh, is that how it works?"

"Well, I'm not sure how any of this works," Kate said rolling her head around, either exaggerating or not hiding her tiredness as they finally reached Kate's room. It seemed their usual preferred sleeping room. Max had yet to tell her girlfriend she loved being around things that smelled like her.

When the door closed behind them, Max said, "Yeah...I keep having these weird ideas of what a couple is suppose to do, you know...all we've been taught forever and it was always divided into boy and girl roles. It doesn't really work for us, does it?"

"I think..." Kate paused thinking and taking the moment to put her arms around Max. "...we do whatever feels right. We'll figure it out together. I don't think there's any one way to do this...to be a couple."

"I think you're right."

"We're so agreeable...you think we'll ever fight?"

"I'm sure...but nothing big. Right now all I can imagine is fighting about who loves who more."

"Well, I would definitely win that," Kate said, becoming sassy.

"Oh really..."

"Really. I'll prove it with more than just words some day."

Max was taken aback by this but was felt a zing of excitement. She hoped Kate's forward nature with her would always give her the tingles. Max never wanted to get used to it.

"How about I do that right now?" the brunette asked, thinking to the advice that Vi gave her in the costume shop.

Kate's eyebrows rose. Max loved the rarer moments where she could surprise and excite the blonde. She thought she might be overselling herself though this time.

Max said, "Go lay down on the bed. I'm going to give you a massage."

"Oh...that's sounds wonderful..." Kate smiled and let her hand sensually trail down her girlfriend's back before letting her go.

Kate said, "I snuck your toothbrush in, so we can go together this time."

"Perfect."

"I might have snuck a few shirts too. For me."

"That's perfect too."

"I think I might want to have that one though," she said, trailing a finger down between her chest to her stomach. She added, "Let's trade."

Max gulped and felt her body tingle at the touch. "Now?" she asked hesitantly.

"Why not?"

"Okay..."

Max waited for Kate's lead. The blonde slowly slipped off her shirt, only using the now removed clothing to partially cover herself after giving her girlfriend a good look at herself. Max blushed and bit her lip. Looking down, she then also removed her shirt. She could feel Kate's eyes glued on her. Once it was off, she first covered herself with it, but then handed it over while looking down. She looked up and saw the blonde smiling devilishly as they exchanged the clothing. Kate kept the stare as she turned around, looking over her shoulder as she removed her bra. She then slipped the shirt on, turning forward at the same time. Max was treated to a quick full frontal view of Kate which turned the freckled girl an even darker shade of red. She was still staring, picturing the image of a few seconds ago, forgetting to put on Kate's shirt as she held it close.

"Em?"

"Oh! Um, yeah, sorry." Max gave a slight laugh of nervousness and put on Kate's shirt. She removed her bra from under it, turning around more out of embarrassment for spacing out than anything.

"Oh, and you can wear my jams." She got out a couple pair of pajama pants. They changed at the same time, both turned slightly away, but both also making flirtatious glances at each other.

When they were done, Kate declared, "Okay, I'm _so_ ready," and took Max's hand to pull her to the bed. The brunette felt Kate was running the show, when this was her idea. She was a little disappointed in herself, but she was more than okay with that as they reached the bed. Kate let go of Max's hand and kicked off her shoes. She then got in, laying down on her back. She tilted her head up and smiled mischievously across the bed to Max.

The freckled girl nervously said, "Um...Katie...?"

"You can't blame a girl for trying," Kate said and giggled as she turned around.

Max smiled shyly back, giving her a chastising, but flirtatious look. When the brunette got into bed behind her, Kate grabbed at her own shirt and pulled it off while laying down.

"The shirt just gets in the way," Kate explained sounding normal, but she looked back a moment with her bedroom eyes before turning away from Max and facing forward to the wall.

The brunette stared at her bare back, and her eyes followed down to the sides where her breasts began. Her mind filled the gaps from her recent memory. She bit her lip and made herself move. Adjusting to kneel beside her, Max began just caressing her girlfriends back and enjoyed watching the goosebumps form. She barely put any pressure on Kate as her fingers traced up and down her flawless skin. There was a faint moaning coming from Kate, like a pleasurable humming.

"So perfect..." Max whispered.

"What?" Kate asked.

"Uh, nothing...sorry. Just relax, Katie and enjoy."

"I'm already enjoying. I'll _try_ to relax, but I'm kind of nervous about tomorrow. I know you won't tell them until Saturday, but I...I just really need this to go well."

"It will," Max said, making herself sound confident. She thought to the fallout with the Marsh's and knew exactly what she meant. The brunette guessed that Kate probably needed at least one of their families to accept them. Max recalled how she still needed to help her figure out how to get in touch with her sisters.

Deciding to get into the real massage, Max looked down at Kate's slender body and wondered how she would best do it. She got lost in admiring her girlfriend's form for a few seconds and then figured out something to try. She knelt so that one of her legs was in between both of Kate's and her other leg was on the outside. She did not put almost any weight on the blonde's thigh, but she was very aware of how her intimate area rested on her girlfriend. It couldn't be helped unless she changed positions or rose herself up in an uncomfortable way, but that felt like it would point it out more. A part of her also enjoyed the excuse to be like this and so she just proceeded with the massage. Max felt that she needed to make sure Kate was okay with it though, so she vaguely asked, "You like it like this?" and proceeded to rub Kate's shoulders.

"Mmm yes...that's nice."

Max wondered if she was just talking about the massage. She felt her heat grow hotter against Kate's leg. Her body slightly slid across Kate's legs as she massaged up and down her back. It took everything in her not to truly grind against her girlfriend. Max refocused herself and really tried to put an effort in the massage as she worked her fingers over the blonde's muscles. The brunette was glad for once that she wasn't too strong because she knew that she couldn't really hurt Kate, even if she tried. After several minutes, Max's fingers grew tired and so she said, "One minute warning, Katie love. My fingers are about to give up."

"Mmm..." Kate said, still enjoying the massage. "Katie love..." she said, testing out the name combination herself. "I like it..."

"Sorry, I stole it from you."

"You can...mmm...call me _love_...anytime, Em...cause I'm your love too."

"So, I guess you love me enough to forgive me for stopping now." Max lifted her fingers up, wishing she had more strength to continue.

"Of course, love. I'm sure they'll be other times. We can finish what you started then..."

Kate lifted up the leg that was between Max's as she slid out so that it made firm contact between the brunette's legs as it passed through. Max could not believe that it was an accident. She trembled a moment in pleasure and shook her head slightly to get back to reality. Her back was still the freckled girl, but she was still shirtless and Max just stared and knew Kate was teasing her. After a few seconds of pretend stretches that drove the brunette a little insane, the shirt was put back on and Kate turned around. Her smile told Max she knew exactly what she was doing to her.

Kate spoke up though and said, "We better try to get some sleep now. It's going to be a long day tomorrow."

"Yeah, you're right. I guess we should brush."

Kate nodded and they grabbed their things and went to the bathroom. It was empty. They began brushing and Max decided to be playful and halfway through, splashed water at Kate. She looked back at the brunette with a shocked face and then gave her a playful scowl before splashing her back. Wet splotches soon covered their shirts and Max stopped her splashing when she saw an accidentally strategically placed water spot bring something to her attention. She blushed and turned away, but then looked right back. Kate paused too and tilted her head down and saw what Max was staring at. She grinned and then made a purposeful splash at the same area on the freckled girl. This jolted Max out of her gaze and she said while smiling widely, "Okay, okay, you win!"

Kate smiles triumphantly and said, "Thank you, thank you. I acccept your surrender. My terms will be very generous and include a life time of snuggles."

"I'm ready for that," Max said, but added, "Hold on though, I really wasn't done." She rapidly brushed the rest of her teeth. Kate did the same. Max sensed Kate giving her an amused smile. She pretended to ignore it but ended up smiling as she looked in the mirror and then looked at Kate too.

They finished up and returned to the room. Max and Kate were soon in each other's arms in bed, under the covers. The brunette found herself caressing the other's face.

"Katie...?"

"Yeah..."

"I've been so focused on myself and you never tell me...what do you dream about?"

Kate looked off in thought and said, "You know...the usual weird things...um, sometimes you..." Kate looked away shyly.

"Yeah?" Max's face lit up. "Tell me..."

Kate bit her lip and said, "Well...some things I probably shouldn't say..._yet_...but...sometimes we're in our house and just doing normal things..."

"_Our _house?" Max asked.

"Yeah..."

"Like in the future?"

"I think so...it's so silly, but...I love it."

"That's not silly at all, Katie...I love that you think and even dream about being together like that..." Max felt a little teary eyed.

"They're the best dreams." Her smile faded. "I um, have not so great dreams now too."

Max waited for her to go on.

Kate said, "I dream about trying to go to my house and see my sisters, but all the doors are locked. I can see them through the windows but they can't see me...or maybe they're ignoring me..."

"Oh, Katie, no...we're going to find a way." She had a sudden realization. "Wait...why don't we just do what we did last time and visit Lynn at school?"

"Oh my gosh, Em, you're right! Can we please do that? Maybe before we go? I really would love to at least seen Lynn before..."

"Of course! Let's do that right in the morning. I don't know why we didn't think of it before."

"Well, we did now."

"Thank goodness. Now it's all Em dreams all the time."

Max smiled.

Kate asked, "Well, what have you been dreaming about? You stir in your sleep sometimes, but not as much. You're pretty easy to calm down now."

"I don't really remember much anymore."

"Oh...well, that's better than bad dreams."

"Definitely. I'll just try to come join yours. I want to be there in that house with you."

"See you there," Kate said smiling and yawned.

They took turns caressing each other and silently gave each other loving looks until eventually drifting off, joining each other in sleep and in their dreams.


	30. Chapter 30

After several hours of picturesque dreams involving Kate, a different kind took over. Max was in the darkroom, the sinister bunker where Jefferson played out his perversions in secret. He wasn't there now though and Max wasn't tied up. She found herself wandering around looking for something, but she didn't know what it was until she came across it: Her camera. It sat on a table and she had a sense of foreboding come over her as she drew near. She was still drawn to it and slowly reached out her hand until almost touching the device. Right before she did, Max woke up with a gasp.

"Oh, fuck!" She had no idea why she was so scared. Her breathing was rapid.

Kate woke up in alarm, saying, "What!? What happened!?" She then saw the dazed and confused look on Max and realized she just woke from a nightmare. The blonde pulled her girlfriend closer and stroked her face while kissing her cheek three times in different places, before saying, "Em, my love, you're okay. I'm here. I'm right here..."

Max took a deep breath and eased into Kate's embrace. She didn't cry, but the brunette felt a lingering disturbance that was hard to push away. The kisses put butterflies in her stomach, but the nightmare was still affecting her mind. Max took another large breath and then spoke.

"I...um...sorry for waking you..."

"Don't be silly, Em. It's not your fault." Kate again kissed Max, this time on the side of her head. She then hesitantly asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Well...not sure there is much to talk about. I was in...um...the bunker..." Max began to feel emotional now, mentioning the horrible place out loud, but worked past it. "...and...I was alone, walking around and found my camera...but when I was about to touch it...I woke up. It scared me for some reason."

Kate looked at her with concern, uncertain what to make of it. She wanted to reassure her, but of what, she didn't know.

Max looked over to the other side of the room and bit her inner lip nervously. She then narrowed her eyes and made a quiet growl before getting up, to Kate's surprise.

"Fuck that dream," the brunette said as she reached her bag. She snatched up her camera roughly and then checked it quickly before coming back to the bed. Kate had sat up, watching Max with some concern still.

The freckled girl's face softened and she said, "Stay still now, beautiful," and took a picture of Kate who had dipped her head down, but was looking up at her shyly. A second later, the picture was free from the camera and Max shook it before looking at the Polaroid. This time she showed Kate and said, "Another picture to brag about how impossibly gorgeous my girlfriend is."

Kate became bashful, but took the picture from Max's hand and said, "I love when you call me your girlfriend. It's just so...I don't know, I just love hearing it and you sound so...proud."

"I am! Katie, my heart, I'm so lucky to be with you."

"My heart?" Kate smiled widely. "Please keep calling me that. I love it."

"Then I will..." Max gently took the photo back from her and then wrapped her arms around Kate at the edge of the bed. The blonde had her own hands circling her girlfriend's waist and turned her head to rest it on her chest. She listened to the beating of her heart for a few seconds.

Kate reluctantly said, "I guess we better get started with this day."

Max caressed the blonde's back for a moment and then let go, saying, "Yeah...I guess so."

"I want to make sure we have time to see Lynn."

"Oh, yeah. Of course," Max put her hand out and helped Kate down from the bed. The brunette then crouched down to quickly slip the photo into the album under the bed. Standing up, she said, "I'll be back soon, just need to change," the brunette said as she gave her her girlfriend's hand a squeeze and started to walk away, but felt her hand still held and keeping her there. She turned around to see Kate pouting. Max gave her look that she hope conveyed that it was hard for her to be separated from her too. She knew the blonde was just being mostly playful though.

"Okay, okay. Just hurry, please," the blonde said and let go of her hand, still slightly pouting.

"I'll be right back, silly," Max said and gave a quick kiss on her cheek.

Kate smiled bashfully and put a hand over where she had been kissed. The brunette smiled back, happy to see her reaction as she left the room. She didn't hear Kate quietly say as the door closed, "So worth the pity pout..."

A few minutes later, Max was back wearing a dark gray shirt with a black design peaking through above the zipper of her jacket and a pair of jeans. She came in as Kate was putting on a pale blue shirt with an orange, yellow, and red row of stripes going diagonally across the front, but Max couldn't see that part of it yet. Kate's back was to the door, but the brunette could swear she was just waiting for her to come in to start putting on her shirt. Below, Kate was wearing a long gray skirt with black leggings. Max quickly closed the gap between them and put her arms around Kate from behind.

"Miss me?" the freckled girl asked in a whisper to her girlfriend's ear.

"Every second. But I love when you hold me like this, so I'm okay now," she said with a giggle.

"Oh, do you?" Max squeezed her just a little tighter and then uncrossed her arms around her girlfriend to run her hands down to the blonde's hips and hold them there, pulling the girl's lower half closer to her own.

Kate added quietly, "I think someone else likes it too."

"_Like_ is definitely an understatement. My hands are getting ideas though."

"I'm sure they're really good ideas..." Kate said as she put her hands over Max's. They seemed to almost be trying to slide the brunette's hands inward to her front. Before they could move though, a buzzing sound broke the moment. It was Max's phone ringing. She reluctantly left Kate and went to pick it up.

"It's Joyce," she said, implying the question of whether to answer.

"Pick it up," Kate said cheerfully.

Max did and said, "Hello, Joyce?"

"Hi, Max. I'm so glad I could reach you. How are you doing?"

"Good, I'm...great actually," she said glancing at Kate's for a moment.

"That's so good to hear. I was wondering what happened with you and that sweet girl, Kate. I take it that it went well?"

Max smiled as she looked at her girlfriend, "Yeah...we're...well, together now. I mean, together together."

"That's great, Max. I'm so happy for you. And how have both your parents taken to the news?"

"Well...hers, um...not so well," Max feeling bad for saying it out loud. She moved over to Kate who had sat in the bed and found a place beside her. Max took her hand with her free one.

As she did this, Joyce said, "I'm sorry to hear that. A family should always love you. She deserves better."

"Yeah...she does..." Max frowned and squeezed Kate's hand tighter. She put her head on Kate's shoulder for a moment and looked to her. Kate could understand the basics of what they were talking about, but gave the brunette a reassuring half smile that she was okay right now.

Joyce went on, tentatively asking, "And what about yours?"

Max took in a deep breath and let it go before saying, "Actually we're leaving later today for a road trip to visit them. I'll tell them tomorrow though."

"That's great. I'm sure it'll all be fine. I know your parents. They're good people. I even talk to them still now and then."

"You do!?" Max couldn't help but to raise her voice with a little bit of panic. She asked worriedly, "Uh...have you told them..."

"Oh...no no no, Max. Don't worry about that. I haven't spoken them in quite a while still. It's not that often we talk."

As Max let go of a breath, away from the phone, she said, "Oh thank god..."

Joyce continued. "Even if I did talk to them, I hope you would give me enough credit to know I wouldn't spill the beans, so to speak. I understand these things. Even when I suspected with Chloe, I never forced the issue. It was her place to tell me if she wanted to, just like it is yours."

"Thanks, Joyce."

"Of course, sweetie. I'm still watching out for my other daughter. Well, I'll let you get going. Please tell Kate hi for me and that I'd like to see you both again sometime. Maybe come by the diner. I'll make your favorite. I'm back at it and I work most nights now."

"Belgian waffles. Best in town."

"Now I thought that was any town," she said playfully.

"That too," the brunette said with a chuckle.

"Okay, Max. Take care. Please drive safe. I'll be praying for you."

"Thank you, Joyce. Maybe see you soon. Love you."

"Oh Max..." Joyce seemed to become emotional and had to pause before saying, "Love you too, sweetie. Bye now."

Kate waited patiently for Max to summarize the phone call.

"So..." Max put her phone down on the bed and turned toward Kate while she put a hand around her waist. "She just wanted to know if we worked out."

"_I_ think so." Kate leaned her head on Max's shoulder as the other girl had done, but kept it there.

_I hope I was worth it, _Maxthought_. _It wasn't really self-doubt, it was just guilt from what had happened with Kate's family and what was still happening.

Max added, "She also wanted to see us again. Said to come to the Two Whales."

It wasn't until she said the name of the diner that all the memories of Chloe came rushing back. Going there suddenly seemed like a really bad idea.

"Oh, like a date?"

"I guess, but-"

"That sounds so cute. By then we could sit in the same side of the booth. Joyce would be serving us, it's perfect..."

Max felt Kate already glued to the idea. The blonde did not seem put off by it being Chloe's mother. That was Kate though. She wouldn't blame Joyce for Max having feelings for her daughter. The brunette guessed that the fact that the person that would be serving them would be certain to accept them as a couple was an appealing part too. She was compelled to go along with it.

Max said, "Yeah...we'll figure that out when we get back, I guess. Hey, you probably should get a jacket, yeah?"

"Actually, hold on..." Kate put a finger out to tell Max to stay as she mysteriously ran out the door. The brunette almost followed anyways, but a couple minutes later she was back and was wearing an olive green parka with a light brown faux fur rimmed hoodie.

"Wow..." Max was first speechless seeing Kate in clothing she would never usually see her in. To the brunette, she just looked so cute in it. "Hey...that's my jacket...and...you're going to wear it all the time now."

"Okay," Kate said with a smile. "You never wear it anyways."

"Yeah. Not sure why...I guess I was saving it for you."

Max came up and put her arms around Kate. As soon as she did, her phone buzzed again, this time a text.

"Oh geez, come on now phone, just stop it. I'm ignoring it this time," Max grumbled.

"Well...what if it's important?"

"Okay, okay..." Max took a step back and got out her phone and saw it was a number she never had seen before, not coming from any of her contacts.

**Random** **Number: **Hey, this is Max, right? My name's Steph. I go to Blackwell too. I knew Chloe and wanted to meet you sometime to talk. You up for it?

Max stared at her phone, not sure how to take the surprise text.

_Chloe had other friends? Wait, this person never said they were friends, just that they knew her. How did they get my number? Do I meet them..._

Max couldn't deny her compulsion to find out what this person was all about, especially with her knowing Chloe. She realized that Kate was staring at her expectantly.

"Oh, some person named Steph wants to meet. I guess she...um, knew Chloe." After learning about Kate's insecurities when it came to Chloe, Max was reluctant to even say the name out loud in front of her. She didn't really have to worry about having to say the name since that moment when Kate decided to give her a chance though, at least until today.

Kate had fear in her eyes, but it passed and she said, "You should meet her."

The response was unexpected for Max, as well as its relative quickness. She had her own swift response to give though.

"_We_ should meet her."

Kate smiled. "Okay."

"I'll let her know. I wonder why she wants to meet."

"Probably to commiserate with you, I would imagine." Kate tried to push back jealous thoughts and left it at that.

"Yeah...probably." Max looked back to her phone and typed.

**Max: **HiSteph. Sure, let's meet. Have somewhere in mind?

A minute later, she got a response.

**Steph: **Quartered, the arcade, tomorrow at 9 PM.

Max thought she was very commanding with her response, but the place told her that Steph was not too cool to show her nerdy side right away.

Max informed Kate of the text reply. "So...I think we actually will be back then. I didn't want to stay too late Saturday."

Kate frowned a little and said, "In case things don't go well?"

Max hated to admit it, but she wanted to be honest with Kate. "Well...yeah, but I still think it will be fine." She took the blonde's hand and said, "I'm just being...cautious."

Kate nodded, then said, "Tell her okay."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure. I guess we'll be having a busy day tomorrow."

"It feels pretty busy _now_. We should, uh...eat I guess and then head out. I'm going to tell her you're coming with me," Max said as she typed her reply.

Kate smiled, hearing Max voluntarily propose to eat food. She did not bring attention to it though.

The brunette didn't notice the blonde's reaction as she started to type that she would be there with her girlfriend, but realized it was too soon to be talking that openly, especially to strangers.

**Max: **Sure. Is it okay if I bring someone else with me?

A response came quick.

**Steph: **No problem. Any friend of a friend of a friend of Chloe is a friend of mine.

**Max: **GR8! See you then.

There were no more texts.

"I guess that's it," Max said with a barely perceptible shrug.

"Okay, let's get going, love," Kate said as she put her hand through the back of Max's hair to have her nails reach her skin where her head and neck met.

Max closed her eyes and said, "Mmm...I'm not moving until you stop...but don't stop..."

Kate giggled and kissed Max's cheek and whispered, "Come on," before walking away.

Max quickly and obediently followed.

They headed out and soon were driving in Betty, on their way to Horizon Academy to see Lynn. They chatted in the way. Kate seemed nervous, despite Max's reassurance that her sister supported their relationship.

Max tried to get her mind off of it. "So...I actually know how to drive stick."

"Oh, then why..."

"It's just been a while. Maybe I'd be fine. I rather not stall out in front of you. I embarrass myself enough."

"Well...if you ever want to try, maybe if you ever get a manual car, I'd love to see it..."

"What, see me stall out?"

"No, no, no...just see you when you got the hang of it again...it's um...kind of a turn on..."

Kate looked away bashfully at her admittance. Max rubbed her girlfriend's hand she held with her thumb and said, "I guess I have to buy a manual car."

"I'll chip in to make it happen," Kate said playfully, still a little shy about it, but then started walking her index and adjacent finger up and down Max's arm like a little person.

_Just another cute thing to love about Kate. I love it...I love her..._

Max gave her girlfriend a loving glance which she returned and then turned her eyes back to the road.

They eventually arrived and parked across the street. When they got out, Max could tell Kate was still very tense. The brunette closed the passenger door and once facing her, rubbed the blonde's arms up and down rapidly.

The freckled girl said, "It's going to be fine. You know she's on our side."

"I know...but what if she changed her mind, or if my parents made her, threatened her..."

"I just met her, but she doesn't seem like that would stop her."

Kate sighed. "You're right. Lynn has the strongest spirit of any of us."

"See, it'll be fine. Everything will be okay. You ready now?"

The blonde took another deep inhale, her passing breath sounding very audible coming back out of her mouth. "Okay," she said.

The couple walked to the office, checked in and waited while Lynn was called up. When Lynn appeared Kate looked at her nervously and her younger sister paused. She took in the appearance of her sister and Max, then ran full force into Kate for an embrace.

"Oh, thank God. Thank you God," Kate whispered, not taking the name in vain, but meaning it. Both sisters had tears forming.

Max noticed at least one of the office staff start to take notice. Turning her back to the front desk, the brunette quietly asked, "Hey, sorry you two, but is there somewhere else we can talk?"

Lynn nodded, still hugging her older sister. She said, "let's go over here." She led her sister by the hand toward the center of the school until they entered an empty multipurpose room. There was a stage in the front of the large room, and not much else besides stacks of chairs on the side.

Lynn said, "We should be okay in here. Someone might pass through, but this is probably the best place right now."

Max asked the younger Marsh, "So, how have you been, Lynn?"

"It's been a little crazy at home. Mom is nuts. She took Anne's phone and has been so cranky. She snaps all the time."

Kate asked, "And dad?"

"Just quiet. Very quiet," Lynn replied.

Kate frowned, then said, "Anne?"

"She's fine...I mean she's freaking out too. Definitely not happy about her phone being taken. She's more upset for you though."

"Yeah?" Kate was not sure if she understood her meaning correctly and was fearful of being wrong so waited for her sister to clarify.

"She...well, honestly was not sure about you two being together...but I talked to her...you know Anne...she's always doing what mom and dad say, even when they're not around. I don't think she really thought about it before,"

"About two girls...?" Max ventured to clarify.

"About anything, anything for herself. I love her, but it was time to wake her up."

"Did I mention that I loved your sister?" Max said.

Lynn beemed.

Kate said, "She's too smart for her own good sometimes. But I'm starting to think it's exactly the right amount."

"Oh, you're for sure right. I already figured out how to talk to you, Kate. I was going to email you after going to the library and sign up for a yahoo account or whatever one doesn't need a phone to um..."

"Verify it?" Kate said.

"Yeah, exactly."

"My go-getting sister. Solving problems."

"The little ones at least," Lynn added.

"So...you really are okay with me and Max being together...that she's my girlfriend?"

"Oh, she is?! I wasn't sure, that's awesome."

"It is?" Kate asked, still needing more confirmation from Lynn.

Her young sister held Kate's arm and said, "Max is great and she makes you happy, right?"

"More than anything. I love her, Lynn."

Lynn's eyes widened, first scaring Kate, but then the younger Marsh smiled and said, "Love? Wow guys...really?"

Max nodded, now smiling too.

"This would be so romantic if it didn't suck so bad too," Lynn said.

Max said, "A lot of romantic stories are tragic. We're trying for a happy ending though for this one."

"I hope so." Lynn looked at them supportingly.

"Thanks, Lynn. But, um...we're not telling anyone else yet though, okay?"

"Oh...okay, but why not?"

"I want to...to go to church one more time."

"You still um...you know...believe?"

"It's...complicated...but, yes."

"Oh...well, yeah, I understand. I'll keep it quiet. I have been. Just talk to Anne about it. She really misses you too."

"I miss both of you..." Kate moved to hug her sister again and squeezed her tight before letting go.

Lynn gave an amused smile as she had to check her balance and then said, "I had an idea...when I get a phone someday...I can call you-"

"But won't mom check the numbers you call? I know she would do that."

"Hold up sis, getting to that. Just change your number and I can pretend you're number is from a new friend I met if she ever asks. Just come to the school again sometime soon and do that in case she thinks to try and have you kept away from me here. She's pretty crazy. She could do anything right now. We can email until then, right?"

"My amazing sister. Yes, that's perfect. Are you sure you're ten?"

"Unfortunately, still waiting to double it."

Max said, "Don't be so eager. Getting older is not fun. But it can be sometimes I guess..." She looked back at Kate who blushed.

Lynn giggled and said, "You guys are cute."

Max blushed a little too at this and said, "Thanks, Lynn."

Kate looked up at a clock hanging high in the large room and said, "I guess we better get going. I want to see you again soon though Lynn. I'll come back when I can."

"Aww, already? Why in a hurry?"

Max answered, saying, "Well...we're going to see my parents to...tell them."

"Oh..." Lynn looked a little worried.

Max spoke quickly to reassure her, saying, "Oh, no, it's going to be okay...my parents aren't really religious and I think they'll be fine with it. So don't worry about us." She again spoke more confidently for Kate and now Lynn.

"Oh, okay. Good. Well...have a safe trip. Going in Max's car?" She guessed knowing Kate did not have one and assuming the brunette _did_ own one.

"A friend's, but yeah."

"Well, drive safe and don't forget about changing your number."

The two sisters embraced again and Kate held on the longest, not wanting to let go.

"I love you, Lynn. Tell Anne I love her too," Kate said, becoming emotional again. She hoped it wasn't too long before she could see her again.

Lynn nodded and said, "Love you too," her eyes becoming a little teary again as well. She turned to Max to hug her as tight as her sister, slightly catching the brunette off guard.

"Love you too, Max. Take care of my sister. Keep her safe please."

Kate said, "She always does."

Max returned the fierce embrace and said, "I will. Love you too, Lynn. Wish I had a little sister like you. Any sister would have been nice, but if I could choose, I'd pick you."

"Maybe someday I _will_ be your sister...right?"

Max and Kate turned red as they looked at each other, feeling more shy about talking about this with others than alone.

Max whispered in Lynn's ear, "Someday...just give me some time."

Lynn grinned up at her. They gave their final goodbyes and the couple left Horizon Academy. Soon they were back in Betty, ready to head to the Caulfield home and whatever happened next.


	31. Chapter 31

Driving away from town, the two girls listened to music along the way. Kate encouraged Max to introduce her to more of her "hipster" music.

When they got to Regina Spektor's Laughing With, a song about God, Kate seemed to give Max a look that she appreciated the words or song choice, knowing the brunette took a moment to find it, so assuming that she purposely selected it and she did. Max had chosen it as a somewhat support of Kate and her now fluctuating relationship with her religion, despite her own doubts about what divine creators did or did not exist. After this, Max continued to skip through her songs on her phone that was plugged into the car stereo.

Now and then, Siri interrupted the song to give instructions. During one of those moments, Kate teased, "I can't believe we need Siri to get to your own house."

Max gave her a playful grumpy face and said, "I never drove it myself! My parents took me here forever ago and sure, I looked out the window, but I wasn't exactly keeping track of where we were."

"I guess that'll teach you to pay attention."

"Probably not."

Kate giggled.

After a minute the blonde said, "Actually, can we stop soon? My bladder has reached it's limit."

"You make it sound so scientific."

"You don't want an explosion from _this_ lab."

Max smiled. "Okay, I'll take the next exit." They were just outside Seattle and would soon be at the Caulfield home. Max thought it was actually a great time for a break. She guessed they both might need a moment to compose themselves before arriving.

The brunette had not been holding Kate's hand for a while now, so she took it and intertwined their fingers. Holding hands for hours was not as doable as they first thought. Max missed feeling her touch though and was going to get a little time in before they got out.

A sign confirmed that there was gas coming up, which meant there were restrooms. Max took the exit and soon was parked. The brunette filled up while Kate was gone doing her business. When she came back, the blonde went right up to Max and put her arms around her girlfriend. The brunette looked around, then back to Kate, confused at her public display of affection. Kate just smiled.

"W-what are you doing?"

"I told you Em...I know what I want." Kate brought her hands down to hook her fingers through Max's belt loops and pulled the brunette's lower half close against herself. Max automatically put her hands to the small of her girlfriend's waist to help keep their bodies close. Kate leaned in to almost whisper in her ear, "And I'm not afraid to show how I feel about you. We're safe out here and after Sunday, we'll be like this everywhere, even at home."

"Mmm Katie...I..." Max murmured, feeling overtaken by the blonde's confident affection.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry, but...I used to think you could only be cute when you tried being tough, but now...when you're so...commanding...so uh...in control...it's sexy as hell..."

"Oh, really?" Kate smiled pleasingly with some cockiness.

"I guess it _has_ been for a _while_ now. I'm putty in your hands, Katie."

Kate's smile only became more pleased, but did not seem surprised at all.

Max pulled back her upper half and looked at Kate. "Oh god, you already knew it..."

"_I_ think, that I know what you like..." She leaned back in and used one hand to pull Max back into her before whispering, "...what you _will_ like..." then lightly nibbled once on her ear.

Max's knees buckled. "Mmm!" They grabbed onto each other to keep the brunette standing. The freckled girl's face was flush with embarassment. She still smiled and said, "You keep doing that to me...I think something's wrong with my legs."

Kate giggled. "Sure," she said with a smirk.

A man was filling up his gas tank two spots ahead of them and was staring. When Max turned and saw him looking, she turned back away and fought the urge to pull away from Kate. She had been hiding her true self for years and so it was hard not to revert back to her previous instincts. Max was still able to stay latched on to her girlfriend. Kate's gaze wandered a moment until she figured out where Max's reaction came from. The man had looked back to his car when Max spotted him, but he glanced back again, just as the blonde looked too. Kate also first had the impulse to remove herself from the freckled girl and pretend they weren't doing anything, but a fierceness, that came from all that she had gone though, pushed her to instead fight back, to not hide.

She kept her eyes locked on the man and bent down to nibble at Max's neck, closing her eyes only momentarily between returning stares at the man. The brunette could only fidget in ecstasy, unable to think beyond enjoying the pleasure she felt. The man himself first watched in shock, but then quickly turned away and put the pump back in its place, perhaps before he was really done. He was soon in his car and gone.

Kate had stopped when he had returned to the driver's seat. As the car turned on and sped off, Max held the blonde and steadied herself, waiting a minute to regain composure and said, "What...the hell...was _that_? I hope you didn't just give me a hickey. That's not how I wanted to tell my parents..."

Kate panicked for a moment, thinking she might have, but said, "No hickey." She then looked back to the man's car as it pulled out of the gas station.

Max said, "Thank god. I mean, later it won't matter, but...fuck. I think, at this rate, if we keep taking it '_slow' _we'll be arrested. But god it felt good..."

Max then noticed Kate was staring angrily at the car, now far away. She said, "Um...Kate? Are you okay?"

This snapped her out of it. "Oh, uh...sorry. I...don't know what came over me...I just..." she looked back at Max guiltily. "Sorry...I just didn't want to not be close to you...just because people might be staring, or judging...so I wanted to really prove I could do it."

"Damn, Katie. You proved the fuck out of it. But, that's the only reason you did it?" Max scrunched her lips, not sure if she should feel used.

Kate's eyes widened, sensing the brunette's thoughts and she quickly began to stroke Max's back, saying, "No, no, love...I um...well...maybe I _did_ do it a little out of anger...I'm sorry...that's not me...not at all..." She now frowned, disappointed in herself. "But, I wanted to do it...I want to do so many things with you, Em...I'm sorry it happened like this though..."

Max now felt guilty. "No, Katie..._I'm _sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel bad. You've gone through a lot and I get it...I really shouldn't be complaining...it felt...amazing. I'm sorry for saying anything, it's okay. It's fine, more than fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Completely," Max said and put her head against Kate's shoulder. She then warmly and quietly said, "I love you..."

Kate, pushed back her guilt and replied, "I love you too, Em. So much...more than anything..."

"I know you do, heart."

"I promise to do everything with you in love, never anger again, even if its for other people."

"Kate it's-"

"No, Em. I'm serious. I don't want all this to change me...not the true me. I know some things are already changing, but I'll always believe in love over hate and I'm not an angry person. And always tell me how you feel, even if you think it might hurt me. You did exactly what you should have. I may be young, but I know how we'll stay together forever. We can talk through anything, because we love each other, but only if we don't hide anything, remember? Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"I do...I promise, Katie." They embraced each other more firmly and then loosened up, but kept holding each other.

Max said, "So...was that our first fight?"

"Well, I'd hardly call that a fight."

"How will we know it's a real fight then?"

"When we need to have makeup sex," Kate said as she caressed her girlfriend's back.

Max's eyes widened for a second and she started to giggle, not sure how to react, but then said, "Um...you know you're just encouraging me to pick fights with you."

"Whatever works," Kate replied and kissed Max's neck three times upward to behind her ear, before letting go of her completely, leaving the brunette to stand unsteadily in a frazzled state. Kate giggled and waited by the passenger door. Max shook her head to bring herself back to reality and then moved to open the car door for her girlfriend. As Kate sat down, the brunette said, "At least I didn't almost fall over this time," and stuck out her tongue.

"Careful with that, I might take it as a suggestion," Kate said just as the door closed. Max leaned against the passenger side in exaggerated exasperation, then pressed her face against the glass. She made an annoyed face, but Kate knew she was just being playful. Max then stomped over to the driver's side and got in.

"You just love teasing me..." Max said.

"You love it too," Kate replied smiling and taking the brunette's hand.

Max sighed. "I do." After a few seconds of silence, she asked, "Are you ready for the last leg of this trip?"

"Ready as I'll ever be. Are you?" Kate tried deflecting her nervousness.

"Same?" Max said with a slight shrug.

"Well, at least we're in the same boat."

"And car. It's a car boat."

Kate smiled at her silliness. It only took away her nerves for a moment and Max noticed.

"Katie...talk to me. What's on your mind?"

The blonde sighed and said, "I guess I better practice what I preach...well...you gotta tell me, Em...what should I do? What shouldn't I do? What do I need to know?"

"Aww, Katie love...but you've met my parents already..."

"But now I'll be in their house. What if I use the wrong fork or put the recycle in the trash, or who knows what? And in a day, _tomorrow_, they'll know I'm your girlfriend."

"Katie, Katie, sweet Katie...don't worry so much, just be yourself and you'll be great."

"It's not that easy."

"But it _is_! Even if you weren't my girlfriend, I would still say you're the best person I know. The kindest, most considerate, patient...thoughtful...Anyone who doesn't love you is either stupid or...just evil. My parents aren't either. Okay, my dad can be stupid sometimes, but that's a different kind of dumb. Just the embarrassing kind."

"I'm really the best person you know?"

Max looked at her incredulously, then endearingly before saying, "You really don't know how perfect you are, do you?"

Kate blushed. "You gotta stop saying that..."

"Then stop being perfect." Max brought the blonde's hand to her lips and kissed it sweetly. Kate smiled and said nothing, finally letting the freckled girl have the last word.

Max said, "Hey, I'm going to text my parents to let them know we're almost there."

Kate just nodded.

A return text came, saying how excited they were and for them to keep driving safe. With this, they finally continued making their way to Max's parents.

The mood became calmer, but they still made some small talk to get their minds of their remaining nervousness. Eventually, Max started pointing out landmarks and that was when Kate knew the time had almost come. She said to Max, "Tell me again how everything's going to be fine."

"Everything will be great. Just take a deep breath..." Max did so herself and Kate followed suit. The brunette wasn't just doing it for her girlfriend, but also for her own nerves. "Okay...now just remember...everything is normal, just a regular visit for now...tomorrow we can worry about anything else."

"Right."

Max looked at Kate, not convinced.

"Katie..."

"Okay, okay, right! It's just a regular day...like any other day before you come out with your girlfriend to her parents..."

"Katie!" Max chastised.

"I'm sorry, that's it. I swear I'm done. Got it all out now." She let out a long breath. Max caressed her hand and gave her a reassuring smile.

Max knew the next turn would take them to her parent's street. She didn't think of it as her street or even home anymore. Kate was her home now. The brunette turned the directions off from her phone and said, "We'll be there in minute."

Kate looked to her nervously, trying to hide it.

Max squeezed Kate's hand and said, "It'll be okay. I promise."

Letting out a deep breath, Kate simply said, "Okay," with slight nod.

They made the turn and Max said, "The houses all look the same...just some of the cars don't."

Kate said nothing. Then as they were about to reach the house, she said, a little panicked, "I don't have anything...when you visit or stay somewhere, you always should bring something...oh no...we have to turn around..."

"Katie, no, don't worry about that. My parents won't expect anything. They're definitely not traditional like that."

"Are you sure?"

"Postive. Okay...here we are." Max slowed down and pulled in front of the house, opting to leave the driveway free for her parents to easily leave from the garage. She looked at Kate and said, "Just keep reminding yourself, everything is normal for now. If you need to, worry tomorrow, but remember, there's nothing to worry about."

"Okay, okay...It'll be okay..." Another realization hit her and she said as she put her hand on Max's, "Maybe don't open the door for me for now?"

Max smiled and said, "Yeah, probably shouldn't."

"Don't worry. I think I remember how these things work," Kate joked, trying to ease the tension.

Max smiled, then said, "Ready?"

"Let's just do it."

"Okay, here we go."

With that, they both exited the car with their small bags that held all they would need for the next day. Max walked side by side with Kate as they made their way down the path to the house. She felt her heart beating faster as they got closer to the door. If only she could hold Kate's hand, the brunette thought.

_Tomorrow...just get through today._

When they got to the brown door, Max knew it was her duty to ring the bell, so she did.


	32. Chapter 32

As Max backed up from ringing the doorbell, she saw how nervous Kate looked. The freckled girl risked a quick reassuring caress on her back and then put her hand down. The blonde smiled appreciatively, glancing at her for a moment before looking forward again. A few seconds went by and the door opened wide.

Ryan Caulfield appeared alone and said cheerfully, "Girls! You made it. Come in, come in. That's all you have?"

"Yeah, dad. Just staying one night."

"Ah, yeah. I guess so, huh. Well, go ahead and have a seat. Your mother is finishing up with dinner and so I hope you're both hungry." He gave Max a big hug and let her walk in.

"Yeah, I think we're both ready for something," Max said as she stepped inside.

"Good, good. I need to help your mother, so if you'll excuse me, I'll be right back." Before he walked back to the kitchen though, he met Kate at the door to give her a hug as well. While he did so, Ryan whispered, "Thanks for keeping her safe."

Kate smiled and gave a slight nod. After she stepped in, he closed and locked the door. "Just hang out here, or put your things in your room if you like. I assume from what you said before that you two don't mind sleeping in the same room. The air mattress is in there in case you need it. Not sure how you do things exactly, but I wanted to give you options."

Max said, "Thanks, dad. I think we'll check out my room. It's been a while."

"Sure thing, kiddo. Okay, I'll call you down when dinner is ready."

"Thanks, Ryan," Kate said.

"No problem, Kate. Make yourself at home. Forgot your violin at home? Probably best. Vanessa would keep you playing until your fingers fell off."

"I would do what now?" Vanessa said as she walked into the room.

Ryan grinned and said, "Nothing honey. I'll go watch things in there so you can say hello." He darted past her before she could respond.

Vanessa followed him with a playful chastising stare. When he disappeared in the kitchen, she went straight to Max for a firm embrace. "My beautiful child, back home again." As they hugged, she looked past her daughter and noticed Kate quietly waiting a few feet away. She squeezed Max tighter for a moment before kissing the side of her head and then released her. Going over to Kate, she said, "And here with you is your equally beautiful friend. So happy to have you here, Kate, violin or not."

Already feeling shy, Kate turned more bashful at the compliment. She said, "Oh, sorry. I really did just forget-"

"Don't worry about it, Kate. We're just glad to have you stay with us. As far as I'm concerned, you're family, so just make yourself at home and don't worry about any expectations." Vanessa closed the gap and gave the blonde a firm hug. When she let go, the older woman noticed that Kate was tearing up. She moved back toward her and put her hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Kate honey, are you okay?" She turned to Max whose eyes had grown wide and contained additional concern beyond Kate's current distress.

The blonde spoke up and said, "Sorry, no, I'm fine. That just means a lot...being welcomed into your home like that."

"Of course..." Vanessa hugged her again. She did not seem to be completely satisfied with that answer, but didn't pry further.

Max wanted to go to her and comfort her girlfriend, but she held herself back. She did give her a concerned look when she thought her mother wasn't watching and Kate returned her gaze with an expression that told the brunette that she would be okay.

Vanessa gave Kate another glance to check that she was okay. The blonde smiled to reassure her and so the older Caulfield smiled back warmly before stepping back to the kitchen. As she reached the entrance to it, she said, "Dinner will be ready soon, but we'll let you know." She gave a smile and disappeared.

When she was gone, Max immediately said casually, in case her parents could hear, "Let's go drop our stuff off in my room."

"Okay, yeah," Kate said somewhat awkwardly.

Max led Kate to the bottom of the stairs and stopped a moment to quietly double check with her, saying, "You okay?" as she put her hand on Kate's which lay on top of the beginning of the banister.

Kate smiled, grateful for how caring her girlfriend was being. She spoke in hushed tones, saying, "I'm better now, thank you." She put her other hand over Max's and gave a small smile. The brunette returned her smile and they parted their hands. Max started to walk up the stairs and suddenly felt a pinch on her bottom which caused her to loudly yelp in surprise. She turned back and she tried to look upset, but was smiling widely at Kate who grinned back mischievously.

Max fiercely whispered, "Katie!"

The blonde put out her lower lip, and looked up with doe eyes, feigning shame. She whispered, "Sorry, I couldn't help it. Your little bottom is so cute."

It was hard to be upset at her. She couldn't deny the thrill of pleasure it gave her.

Suddenly they saw Ryan pop his head around the corner, looking up towards them before he called out, "Everything okay girls?"

"Uh, yeah. Sorry...I slipped on the stairs," Max said, not completely lying, since the pinch did make her miss a step.

"Ah, okay. Dinner will be done in less than five minutes," he said before returning to the kitchen.

Max then glared at Kate who showed her gritted teeth apologetically. She said, "Sorry."

"You are more trouble-" She was about to say 'than Chloe ever was', but knew better than to finish her sentence. She corrected it instead and said, "...you're just trouble."

Kate luckily didn't seem to know where Max was going with that sentence and replied, "I'll make it up to you..."

They started walking up the stairs again and Max said with playful annoyance, "With more trouble?" She looked back and saw Kate shrug with a devilish look in her eyes.

The brunette looked at her narrowly, but smiled and turned forward again. She would have to keep an eye on Kate, she thought. They reached the top and turned to the right.

Max opened her bedroom door when they reached it and said, "Welcome to my room, well, my _old_ room."

Kate entered and scanned around from the entrance. It was fairly simple, now that Max no longer resided there. Some framed photos decorated the walls. A desk stood in the corner, empty since she had taken her laptop with her. On her bed was a blue blanket.

She looked back and saw Max was locked on to it, with a slightly distressed stare. Kate knew exactly why. The blonde had mixed feelings well up inside herself. She was both jealous and hurt by Max's continued strong connection with the deceased girl, but also felt saddened and compassion for the girl she loved. She chose to go with the latter and said, "It's okay, Em. It's just blanket," and tried to take her hand.

Before she could, Max stepped forward and walked up to the bed, stepping around the inflated mattress. She paused a moment and then grabbed at the blanket. The brunette grunted in frustration as she struggled to get it out from its tucked in position. Kate saw her eyes start to tear up, but Max regained her composure as she was able to remove the blanket. Walking straight over to the closet, she roughly opened it and threw the large blue blanket inside. She saw her pirate costume up high in a shelf in a basket. Max desperately threw the image to the back of her mind. After she shut the mirrored door to hide it all away, she let out a quick but loud breath and returned to Kate.

Max looked to the floor sheepishly. She said quietly, "Um...sorry."

Kate put her hand to her girlfriend's cheek and gently guided her head back up. Max saw the compassion in the blonde's eyes, but that just broke her more. Her lip trembled and her breathing became ragged.

She looked at Kate as she said, "I thought I moved on..." with a strained voice as a tear fell. Her eyes closed.

Kate wiped it away and then took Max into her arms. The freckled girl instantly began to quietly weep into her shoulder and said, "I'm sorry...I'm sorry, Katie...please don't leave me..." The blonde felt a little shocked she was this worried and so held her even more firmly, quickly reassuring her by saying, "I'm not going anywhere, love, ever. It takes time, I understand. I'll help you through this. I'll be here for you...always."

Max could only continue to cry, having to still ride through her emotions. A minute later she had become mostly calm and then backed a little away from Kate to say, "I promise I love you more than anything, Katie. You're my heart, I can't do anything without you..."

"I know, love. I love you too. I'm not worried about how you feel about me, I just want you to be okay."

Max nodded and sniffled. She said, "Look at me. I'm a mess now. What do I tell them?"

"The truth?" Kate replied.

Max looked skeptical at that as a real option.

The blonde continued, saying, "They'll understand. Maybe they won't say anything."

"I'm not that lucky," Max said turning her head as she lay it back down on Kate as they held each other.

"We're here together now. _I_ feel pretty lucky." Kate kissed Max's head.

Max sighed and said, "You're right. I'm being stupid..."

Kate leaned back and Max lifted her head to meet her gaze. The blonde said, as she pointed a finger at the brunette's face, "Don't you talk about yourself like that. You're acting completely normal." She gently tapped Max's nose with her index finger on each of the syllables of the last two words. Max looked to the floor with some melancholy still as her head dipped slightly down. Kate brought it back up, lightly cradling the brunette's chin. "You're allowed to feel whatever you feel...okay?"

"Okay..." Max said almost reluctantly.

Kate smiled and kissed her girlfriend's nose.

"Good," the blonde said with a curt nod. "Now let's get down there."

Max blushed and wiped at her eyes, then nose. Kate helped her with some areas of tears she missed, gently wiping them away. The brunette stayed still and looked at the blonde as she did it, appreciating how much she was loved. Max hugged her again tightly to her surprise, but soon let go and said, "Needed one more before we go back down and I can't touch you anymore."

Kate smiled and said, "So, tomorrow you'll be all over me?"

"Well..."

"I know one of us will," Kate interrupted with her usual mischievous grin.

Max only gave her a good humored chastising look and took her hand to bring her to the door. Kate looked confused as they reached it, but Max let go and said, "Taking advantage of every second," and then opened the door.

Kate followed her back downstairs. Ryan was placing a lasagne dish on a trivet as they reached the bottom. Walking through the living room, they stood by the table and he said, "Hey girls, it's all coming out now." He looked a little closer at Max and came over to her and put his hand on her shoulder to quietly ask, "Hey kiddo, how you doing?" The fact that his daughter had been crying had not escaped Ryan.

"Oh...I'm okay. I just...had some tough reminders, but...uh, Kate got me through it."

He rubbed her shoulder down to her arm a couple times and said, "Okay, just checking on you." His gaze hung on her a moment, still with a little concern, but turned to Kate and gave a tight lipped smiled of appreciation along with a small nod. Ryan gave Max light squeeze and went back into the kitchen.

Max took advantage of the moment and pulled out a chair for Kate. She smiled in amusement at the continued acts of chivalry, still also touched by the gesture. It was just another way her girlfriend tried to take care of her, even when she herself was just recently hurting. Kate caught Max's hand before it left the chair and locked eyes with her a moment, just wanting to look at her lovingly. They quickly parted as a noise was heard from the kitchen and then both Caulfield parents appeared.

Vanessa brought in a plate of bread and Ryan a bowl of salad. Once both were placed on the table, Vanessa asked what the girls wanted to drink, quickly giving the options. Once chosen, they left again and soon returned with the drinks. The parents had some kind of red wine and the girls chose carbonated water. When they finally were all sitting, Kate spoke up.

She started timidly, "Um, I don't know if you do this, but is it okay if I pray for the food?"

Ryan and Vanessa looked at each other a moment, giving some sort of signal and Ryan turned back to Kate and said, "Honestly, no, we don't, but you're more than welcome to, if you want."

Kate smiled and said, "Thank you." She then bowed her head and the Caulfield's followed suit. She began the prayer, saying, "Thank you Lord for this meal and the hands that prepared it. Thank you for...Max having such amazing parents that have made me feel so welcome here. Let me keep having a great time today and tomorrow with this loving family that I already miss. Please bless them, amen." She wiped her eyes that had begun to tear up.

Vanessa spoke up, not hiding how much the words of prayer touched her, saying, "That was so sweet, Kate," as she put her hand to her heart. She turned to Ryan and said, "We need to start doing that, or at least saying words of thanks. I loved it."

"Only if Kate always does it. I can't follow that," Ryan joked.

Kate smiled shyly at the compliment.

Mr. Caulfield noticed possible signs of embarrassment and so quickly moved on the conversation, saying, "Well then, let's eat!"

Everyone started serving themselves with the Caulfields insisting that Kate go first. The parents, along with their guest, were pleased to see that Max gave herself a decent portion of lasagna and even had bread and salad as well. No one said anything about it though.

Max, however felt a bare foot softly caress her leg which startled her, causing her to drop her fork. Kate slyly acted as if everything was normal, looking at that dropped silverware for a moment just like the parents and smoothly took her foot off of her girlfriend. The dinner quickly resumed, but a minute later Max again felt the small delicate foot of Kate touching her. This time she was more prepared and did not overly react. The foot remained for most of dinner though and every time it slid up and down her lower leg, Max had to pause in her eating. Kate was showing no suspicious behavior at all, even carrying on conversations while she moved her foot across the brunettes leg.

At one point, Ryan had asked Max a question and she completely missed it.

"Max?" he asked when his daughter stared off without a reply.

"Um, oh...sorry, what did you say?"

"I asked how you've been since we've seen you...so...?"

"Good. I've been good. More than good."

"Not this distracted back in Arcadia Bay, are you?"

"Uh..." Max was stumbling for words.

Kate spoke for her, saying, "She's probably worried about our friend who lent us the car. She's not doing great right now, so we feel bad not being there. She does have other friends taking care of her though."

Ryan nodded as if it all made sense now and said, "That's good. I hope your friend will be okay. How's she getting around without her car?"

"She drives a motorcycle too."

"Oh, really?" Ryan said. "What's she riding exactly?"

"Uh...I think when she gave me a ride she said it was a Ducati," Max said uncertainly.

"Oh yeah?" Ryan was perking up more.

Vanessa's eyes went wide though as she said, "What!?" a little louder than she intended.

The other three looked at her and Max realized that she gave her mother a belated scare.

"Oh, sorry mom...next time I won't mention that out loud."

"Next time?" Vanessa said, trying to not sound too worked up.

Max shrugged and said, "I don't plan on there being a next time, but-"

Vanessa jumped in and said, "Just stop there and let me have that..." half joking.

Smiling, Max said, "Okay, mom."

Ryan wisely did not ask any of the Ducati related questions he had and tried to remember to ask Max later in private.

The conversation continued and moved on to other subjects. When everyone seemed done, Kate started taking the plates. Vanessa put her hand out and said, "Oh, Kate, don't worry about that, I got it."

"It's okay, I want to. I insist."

Vanessa hesitated, but then relented and said, "You are too sweet, thank you."

"You cooked that delicious meal, it's the least I could do."

Max chimed in and said, "I'll help."

"Oh, _now_ you volunteer," Vanessa joked with a smirk.

"Hey! I helped before..." Max said, weakly defending herself.

Ryan said, "She's right. She's helped..._sometimes_."

"A very generous way to describe it, but sure," Vanessa said, but smiled to show she was only giving her daughter a hard time.

Max said in a pretend whisper to Kate, "You're not suppose to make them like you more. Are you trying to take my place?" She smiled playfully at her and Kate tilted her head in a shrug.

As Ryan handed his plate over to Max, he said to the other two, "Max never had to compete with a sibling. Maybe we should have had another, but Kate will have to be your better-late-than-never sister."

Max and Kate could not help but share an awkward look, which made both smile nervously. Max said, "Uh...yeah...sure." They both took their dirty dishes into the kitchen, with the brunette leading the way.

After she placed the dishes by the sink, Kate put hers next to them. Max began to move the silverware to the sink to rinse them off before she would put them in the dishwasher, but she again felt a pinch on her bottom, this time on both sides with full hand grips. At the same time she heard whispered into her ear, "Hey sis," Again, she was not ready for any of it and yelped loudly, dropping the forks into the sink with a loud clattering.

She turned around with a scolding look and whispered yelled, "Again!?" with her face red and flustered. Her smile still crept up and took over, despite her eyes not matching.

Max whispered and pointed a finger into the center of Kate's chest, "Sisters do not do that."

Kate shrugged while smiling smugly at the affect she had on her girlfriend. She took Max's hand and flattened it against her chest and then leaned in to quietly say, "Sure they do, but they don't enjoy it as much as you." Before Max could reply, they heard Ryan call out, "Everything okay in there?"

Kate backed away from Max and they both looked in the direction of the living room, then back at each other. The girls turned back to the previous direction as they saw Vanessa pop her head around the corner.

Max quickly said, "Sorry, Mom. I just dropped the forks and..." she hesitated, thinking that was not a good enough reason for her shriek, then added, "...I almost dropped a plate, but I didn't."

Vanessa said, "Ah, well please be careful. We've been using these plates for ages."

"Sorry, mom..."

"No, it's fine. We should have made you practice more when you were younger. Thanks again, Kate. Please make sure she's being safe." She winked and left the room.

Max glared playfully at Kate who shrugged and smiled impishly. The brunette began finishing up and put her hand out to stop her girlfriend from helping, saying, "I got this," sticking out her tongue.

"Remember what I said..."

Max glared again, but a smile quickly took over, though her eyes stayed narrowed as she turned back to close the dishwasher. They both returned to the dining room and collected the rest of the dishes and soon were done.

Looking over to her mom, Max said, "I left the Pyrex in the sink to soak."

Vanessa said, "That's fine, dear. So, I was thinking we could play a game. Maybe Hearts?"

"Sure..." Max said, quickly warming up to the idea. It was something to get her mind off what she would be talking about tomorrow.

Vanessa asked the blonde, "You like games, Kate?"

"I love games! I play with my sisters all the time..." She lost a little of her spark, wondering when the next time she could play games with them would be, but tried to hide her melancholy.

Ryan said, "I'll get the cards. You ever play Hearts Kate?"

"No, but I'm a quick learner. Just run me through it."

"Sure thing. Be right back," he said as he left the room. He soon returned with a regular deck of cards and they all sat back down at the table.

Kate said, "Thanks again for dinner."

"Well, thanks for cleaning up. Thanks for helping her, sweetie," Vanessa added. Max rolled her eyes and pretended to give Kate a evil glare.

"Of course. It's the least we could do. So...how do we play?" Kate asked.

Ryan explained that the goal was to score the least points and the games end was signaled when someone scored 100 points. Each round, before it started, three cards were passed first to the left, then the next round to the right, then straight across, then not at all. The cycle was repeated until the game ended. He explained how it was a trick taking game where each person played a card and everyone had to follow suit if possible from the first card played. If you won a hand, those cards were yours and if any were hearts, they were worth a point each, but the queen of spades was worth as much as all the hearts, 13 points.

Kate took it in and had it down. They played a few rounds and she was holding her own. On the 7th round she had to exchange cards with Max again. The brunette looked at the cards, an ace of spades, an ace of diamonds, and a 10 of hearts. She said quietly to Max as she passed the cards, "I'm giving you my only heart."

Max froze with the cards in her fingers for a moment and then snapped out of it to place them within her hand of cards.

Vanessa overheard the blonde and said, "Kate, honey, you don't want to give away everything."

"It's okay. It's too late now, but I don't regret it. I'm still coming out a winner."

"So confident," Ryan noted.

Max did not know what to say to the double meaning sentences coming from her girlfriend.

Kate smiled and said, "I have everything I need, thanks to Max."

The brunette felt like the blonde's words were so obvious and it was filling her with anxiety, but everything she was secretly saying was so sweet and hard not to feel butterflies over. She met Kate's gaze with a quick knowing glance and felt the butterflies all over again.

Kate herself was playing it cool as a cucumber. It was like all the worries the blonde had disappeared when she was being mischievous with her girlfriend.

Vanessa said, "Max honey, I hope you're not just giving the game away just so your friend can win."

Max responded clumsily, saying, "Uh...no, I...I'm doing what I can...I think."

They continued playing and Kate did indeed win the round and the game.

"Good game, Kate," Ryan said, then added, "I'd say it was beginners luck, but you seem more skilled than lucky."

"Thank you. I'm probably both," she said with a giggle.

"You are the cutest thing," Vanessa said smiling.

"Mom..." Max groaned, embarrassed.

"Sorry! I just love this girl, violin or not."

"Thanks, Vanessa. I'm glad I stood on my own this time," Kate joked along.

They chatted for a little bit before playing another game of hearts and then talked some more. Eventually someone started to yawn and it began to spread. Ryan was the one to call it, saying, "I guess we should head to bed before we all fall asleep as the table. You girls are welcome to stay up down here if you want."

Max looked to Kate and said, "I think we'll start getting ready for sleep too, actually." She slowly got through her words, looking to her girlfriend to see if she would indicate any opposition, but Kate just smiled and nodded.

They got up and Max's parents each gave her a hug.

"Love you, kiddo. Hope you sleep well," Ryan said.

After her hug, Vanessa said, "Sweet dreams, honey."

"I hope so," Max said lightly, but was not joking about it in the slightest.

The Caulfield parents each took turns to embrace Kate as well.

Ryan said quietly to her after the hug, "Let us know if you need anything. I know you seem to have things under control with her, but don't be afraid to wake us up."

Kate nodded and said, "Thank you, I'll keep that in mind, but I think we'll be fine."

After Vanessa's hug, she said, "Just do whatever you do to keep my baby at peace."

Kate looked uncertainly to her, trying to sense if she meant something more than it seemed on the surface, but Vanessa showed no signs of meaning anything more beyond the most innocent interpretation of her words.

They said goodnight to each other and the girls walked upstairs while Max's parents finished up downstairs, saying they would be going up shortly.

As Max walked up, she suddenly remembered what happened earlier and waited for Kate to strike again as the blonde followed her up. They reached the top and nothing happened, but that didn't mean she wouldn't try something later. The freckled girl felt a little apprehensive about it, mostly just because she was dangerously close to her parents, the last people she wanted to be caught by doing anything scandalous with Kate. Another part of her loved what Kate had been doing and was wondering with expectation on what might come next. She would try to push for a calm night though. Tomorrow was going to be a big day, one of the biggest in her life. They both needed good sleep, Max thought. She suspected that they might end up talking all night too though.

_I guess we'll see what happens..._


	33. Chapter 33

The girls made it inside Max's room and the brunette closed the door behind them. She crossed her arms and stared at Kate who turned around to see her playful scolding look. She feigned innocence, looking around as if to say there was no way Max was giving that stare to her.

"You know who I'm looking at, you naughty, naughty girl. But you have to be good tonight. I want to sleep well for tomorrow. You keep making my heart beat so fast, it needs to slow down."

Kate went up to Max, slowly and looked at her seductively the whole way. Max's heart was beating faster, just as she mentioned. She froze, as the blonde came close and took Max's hands to put them on her waist and then put her own around the freckled girls neck.

Tilting her head slightly she looked at Max with her bedroom eyes and quietly said very slowly, "Tell me again how I'm a naughty...naughty girl."

"You're still being naughty!"

"Oh, I am? I'm sorry, I'll be a good girl. Just tell me what to do...and I'll do it." Her hands trailed down Max's back and then went back up, coming under her shirt. She rested them on the brunette's sides, seeming equally likely to go up her front as her back.

A million fantasies and desires jumped into Max's head. As much as she wanted to act on them though, she knew it wasn't the time for it.

Max sighed in frustration at what she might be denying herself right now and made a closed mouth moan as she felt Kate's fingers start to caress up and down her sides.

"Oh god...I'm sorry, but...I just can't right now, Katie..."

Kate frowned and took her hands out of Max's shirt and took hold of Max's. Changing tone, she said, "I'm sorry, Em. I'm pushing too hard, aren't I? I think I do this when I get nervous. I'm kinda just figuring this out..."

"Oh, Katie, any other night and I would be...well, it'd be very different. I just don't want to get worked up and not be able to sleep and my mind is in a different place, but...I think you might have taken me out of that place...I can't think straight anymore..."

"I hope not," Katie said, taking Max's words as a pun. She sighed, coming down from the last feelings of her suggestive flirtation and said, "I won't pressure you anymore and I'll be good," using a tone that was not seductive this time.

"Just for now...you better be ready to turn whatever that is back on later."

"With the drop of a hat, I could," Kate said smiling wickedly.

"Drop of a hat? You sound like an old person."

"Hey! A lot of people use that phrase!"

"Yeah, a lot of _old people_!" Max teased.

Kate made a cute pretend growl and did a rapid Eskimo kiss, shaking her head.

Max held her breath when Kate's face came closer and did not let go until she stopped moving her head. The blonde noticed and said, "Even that? I wasn't even trying!"

The brunette's voice turned tender and more romantic than seductive as she said, "I don't think you have to try...I just want you Katie...and someday I'll have you and you'll have me..."

Kate looked sweetly back at her and squeezed Max's hands gently before saying, "Not until you're ready."

"I'm more ready than you know...but tonight let's just make sure we sleep! Come on," Max said, pulling Kate by the hand to their bags. They got out their sleeping clothes, pajama pants and shirts from each other. Kate saw ears sticking out of Max's bag and said, "Hey! You brought little Kate," smiling at the sight.

Max smiled back and said, "Yeah, just in case. Regular Kate will be my sleeping friend tonight still."

They began to dress, regretfully deciding to not trade shirts tonight, just in case. Max put on Kate's shirt of some light floral print and the blonde wore Max's black band shirt of Half-Handed Cloud. When Max took off her bra and was turned around, she decided to do the same thing Kate had done before and faced forward as she put the shirt on. Kate's eyes went wide and a huge grin grew on her face, as her cheeks turned red a little along with Max's. They didn't say anything about it.

The brunette tried to move on and get their minds off of it, saying, "You know that band, Half-Handed Cloud," pointing at the shirt Kate was wearing, "They're a Christian band."

"Yeah?" Kate said with curiosity.

"Uh huh. Just one guy really, but his music is not pushy with religion. Um...sorry, no offense."

Kate shrugged.

"That's not even why I listen to it. But yeah, I love his stuff. Makes me feel better about my own music because they're mostly short songs. He makes up for it by having a least a few extra songs on each album."

"You have to show me sometime."

"Of course," Max said smiling. "I'll show you now." She got her phone and they both sat on the bed, with Kate putting her hand on Max's thigh, slowly stroking it, then quickly saying, "Sorry! It's just automatic for me when I'm close to you..." and lifted up get hand.

Max smiled and took hold of her girlfriend's hand to return it to her thigh and said, "Just keep it still. I can handle _that_."

Kate did so and then Max went back to her phone and found the song she was looking for, saying, "This one is just over a minute. It's called _You_ _Wouldn't_ _Embarrass_ _Me_, _Would_ _You?_"

Kate looked over to her and said, "I like it! But are you trying to tell me something...?"

Max giggled and said, "No...I just like this song."

Kate kept staring in a playful suspicious way.

"Really, I promise!" the brunette insisted while smiling.

"Then why are you smiling so much?" Kate continued to tease.

"Cause you're staring at me so much!"

"Can you blame me? Who doesn't want to stare at you?"

"Katie..." Max said blushing. "You are always so smooth. How do I learn that?"

"You're smoother than you think..."

Kate's hand began to move on Max's thigh and the brunette's eyes grew wide, causing Kate to lift up her hand and say, "Bad hand, naughty hand," then gave it a playful slap.

The freckled girl gave her a chastising look, but put her girlfriend's hand back on her thigh. "Just stay still, you," she said, looking down at the hand.

Kate said, "How about we just get under the covers now?"

"Like that will help, but sure," Max said smiling. They got in bed and began to get into their cuddling position where their legs intertwined. Max stopped it though and looked out in thought toward the blow up mattress.

"What if they..." She scrunched her lips to the side then her eyes widened as she thought of an idea. Max got out of bed and pushed the inflatable mattress to the door.

"There. Our security alarm. We'll hear it drag across the floor in case they barge in. Well, I hope we will."

"Actually...I have to pee," Kate said.

"Oh, yeah...me too. And brush." They grabbed their things and did their business. The girls did not see or hear the Caulfield parents before or after going into the bathroom.

Once they returned, the girls put the inflatable mattress in front of the door again and happily returned to their intimate position in bed. Kate sighed happily in Max's arms. She was lightly touching each freckle she saw. During this process though, she stopped with a thought and then spoke it, saying, "Em...um...have you used your powers since..."

Max did not expect the question and so had to pause to think, then said, "Oh...um, no, I really don't want to ever use them again unless I really need to."

Kate nodded slightly and said nothing for a few seconds, then asked, "You were never tempted?"

"Everytime I do something stupid, sure, but I'm learning to live with my mistakes. I can't mess with time every time I mess up. Wow, that was either a really cool sentence or complete cheeseballs."

"Why not both?" Kate asked.

Max smiled and moved her hand up to play with a loose strands of hair that came down the side of Kate's face.

The blonde asked, "So...how do you think it'll go tomorrow?"

"I'm thinking it'll be fine. I can't see them getting angry about it."

"But will they _accept_ us?"

"I really don't know, but I guess my heart says yes."

"I'll choose to believe your heart."

"You should, it chose you didn't it?" Max didn't feel confident very often, but she was sure of how she felt about Kate. She loved their playful sweet banter. She believed it affirmed how much they belonged together.

"Now _that's _cheeseballs. But I love it. Don't stop please."

"Wasn't going to either way," Max said softly as she finished curling the blonde strands of hair around her fingers, then she said, "Did I tell you yet today how much I love you?"

"You _show_ me all the time. But I can never hear it enough either. I love you too, Em." She stared off in thought and then said, looking as if she was first mentally shrugging, "What do you think of the names Matilda or Amelia?"

"Um...for what?"

"Just tell me if you like them."

"I love them both."

"Oh, you're no help. Never mind."

"Kate are you asking-"

"Just nevermind," the blonde said matter of fairly and sighed, but sounded happy. She kissed Max's cheek. "Seven thousand, five hundred, fifty-two to go."

Max smiled for the kiss, but then thought about her made-up freckle count. She made a playful annoyed face and said, "I do _not_ have that many! And there's no way you know how many freckles I have anyways."

"You're right. But I'll have the right count someday soon, when I've seen them all."

Max blushed and had a flash of fantasies go through her mind. She also wondered if she ever turned red so much in her life before meeting Kate. It was very doubtful, she thought.

"You said you'd be good..."

"Sometimes it just slips out. Besides, you're the one who denied my counting."

"Okay, you get a pass this time," Max said before slipping her hand down to find Kate's. They both looked tired, but it was hard to make themselves stop thinking about tomorrow. Max said, "Let's just close our eyes and maybe we'll accidentally fall asleep."

Kate smiled in amusement.

Max added, "At least it's one step closer."

"Okay, let's try," Kate said and closed her eyes. Max shut hers as well.

Max could hear Kate's soft breath and feel the movement of it. She began to feel more at peace focusing on her. Then she heard the blonde speak, saying, "Meet you in the house."

Max asked, "What color is the door?"

"Green. Definitely green."

"Do we take our shoes off first?" Max yawned.

"Of course. There's a spot..." Kate was starting to fade. "...right by the...door...under the white bench." She also yawned.

"I won't forget, Katie..."

"Good. You need...you need to...be a good example for...Matilda and Amelia."

Kate was then asleep and Max followed her moments later, stepping into the house where her family waited for her.

Max was fortunate to again keep to the idealized dreams of being with Kate, but a dark dream also came at the end of her sleep, just as before. She woke up suddenly, lifting up her head with Kate kneeling beside her, looking over her with deep concern. The blonde smoothed back Max's hair and said, "Em? Em? It's okay, it's just a dream, I'm here."

The freckled girl looked around and realized she was safe in her room with Kate. She let her head fall back down. The blonde lay down beside her and held her hand. She did not ask anything, but waited for Max to be ready to take on her own. The brunette's chest rose and fell rapidly.

After a minute Max's breathing had mostly calmed down and she then said, "It was that dream again..."

"In the..."

"Yes, the..._bunker_..." She hated talking about it. She moved on to the details instead, saying, "I was walking around before and I had forgotten I was looking for my camera again until I saw it. This time though...I touched it. I was so scared of it...but I still don't know why. I suddenly had this desire to open it up and look inside. When I tried to think of how, the camera got so cold and then...I woke up."

"What does it mean?" Kate said with worry.

"I know what it fucking _doesn't_ mean." Max got up again and grabbed her bag, but hesitated this time before touching her camera. She pushed herself to take it out and felt more confident when it did not feel cold to the touch. Making sure film was loaded, she then framed Kate, who now sat up, in her view and said, "Say cheeseballs."

"I will not," she started somewhat playfully, but then became more serious. "Em, what if it's some sign...a warning about the pictures?"

"I don't think so. Come on, Katie, just smile."

"No, I'm serious. Maybe we shouldn't..."

"Just smile, it'll be done in a second."

"But Em..."

Kate was not letting it go though and the combination of her stubbornness, her own stress about her dream, wanting to regain some control in her life right now, and the urge to just take a good picture and be done with it, made her do something beyond her comfort level. Max lifted up her shirt, mostly revealing her small but perky breasts and snapped the shot of Kate staring wide eyed with her mouth slightly parted as she gawked at her girlfriend's chest.

Max quickly returned to her normal sense of modesty and turned a deep shade of red, but felt relief at having a good picture. She could have taken any picture and still used it to go back in time, but the photographer in her couldn't accept mediocre work. It had to be memorable and it was that and more.

As Max slipped the photo safely into her bag, Kate closed her mouth and then said, "Wow. Um...wow. Now when we talk to your parents it's all I'm going to be thinking of."

"Didn't you...uh, _see_ _me_ earlier?"

"Yeah, a quick side blur! Not just with them...all...out there. Just...wow. Where's my sketch book when I need it?"

Max had always been self-conscious about her chest size, but the desire she saw in Kate took all those insecurities away. She still felt the heat from her face. Max couldn't believe what she just did. She wondered what else she was capable of. Today was a day to be bold anyways, she thought.

The freckled girl decided to go a step further and went up to Kate who sat on the bed and said, "If you love seeing them that much, imagine how they'll feel..." She trailed a finger across Kate's cheek, thinking she would pass her by, but the blonde snatched the hand and aimed the small index finger to move across her lips and said, "I rather imagine how they'll taste," and with that, took the tip of her finger and gave it a slow lick before sucking on it, not going any deeper than a nipple might be.

Max moaned and almost moved her other hand to touch herself. She instead just tried to stay still until Kate stopped and as soon as she did, the freckled girl said in playful frustration, "Fucking damn it, why are you always better at this than me!"

Kate just smiled and kissed her hand before releasing it. Max pretended to walk away upset, but the blonde saw her crack a grin, breaking from her obvious pretend show of anger. Waiting patiently for her girlfriend to come back to the bed, Kate smiled as she did just that, as the blonde knew she would. She patted the bed next to her and Max obediently complied. Putting both her arms around Max from the side, Kate squeezed and then put her head on the brunette's shoulder.

Kate said, "You said to be good, but you started it you know."

"Yeah...I know...it just...happened." Max flourished her hands.

"I hope it keeps happening..." Kate began.

"Let's get through today first."

Sensing the shift in the mood, the blonde said, "For sure. So...what's the plan?"

"We'll eat breakfast and...I'll just tell them."

"Just...like that?"

"Yeah...just like that."

They were quiet for a minute, then Kate said, "I have an idea, just breath deep with me, okay?"

"Okay..."

Kate breathed in through her nose deeply and Max followed suit. Then Kate let it out through her mouth and Max did as well. They did this a few times and then Kate said, "Feel any better?"

"I think I actually do. Just like the therapist says. It's not just for panic attacks, I guess."

"Nope. Hey...maybe we should shower first?"

"Do I smell?"

"No, you smell great, but I might be bias."

"Let's just do this then. I need to get it over with."

Kate made a slightly distressed face.

Max quickly added, "Not that it'll be bad...I just need to do it before I lose my nerves."

"Okay, then. Do we get dressed at least?"

Max chuckled. "Yeah, Katie. We can do that."

The two girls put on their clothes and stole flirtatious glances as they changed. Kate was wearing a light blouse with a dark sweater over it and her usual long skirt and leggings below. Max had her jeans and an olive green shirt that said, "Pollution is creative" and had a cartoon bird with three eyes and two sets of beaks. She was not dressing to impress. She was being herself which was what the talk would really be about.

"Ready?" She asked.

"Ready," Kate replied. They held hands for a moment and then let go as Max led her soon to revealed girlfriend to leave the room. It was then they noticed that the mattress was not up against the door anymore and was in fact fairly far from it. They gave each other a worried look. Neither had to say what that meant. The parents seeing them wrapped in each other's arms might have come across as nothing more than two close friends, but Max thought it might have been the final clue to reveal their true relationship if her parents had any suspicions already. There was nothing to say. They walked downstairs.


	34. Chapter 34

Every step down brought them further dread until they were completely panicked when they reached the bottom. Kate was better at keeping her cool, as always, and Max did her best.

When they walked into the living room, they saw no one, but heard movement in the kitchen. Both girls looked at each other nervously, with Max more so. The brunnete did not seem like she was going to move, so Kate pushed her forward a little, with both hands cupping her behind, propelling the freckled girl into the dining room. Max whirled around and pushed her way back into the living room. She grabbed Kate's arms as she whisper yelled, "Really? Now!?"

Kate bit her lip and whispered back, "Sorry, I'm nervous..." Her shameful demeanor put out Max's fire and she gave the blonde a guilty look, but before she could say anything, they heard a voice call from the kitchen.

"Girls, is that you?" Vanessa called out.

Kate nodded to Max to go back into the dining room and so they did. The brunette tried to mask her nerves with humor, calling out toward the kitchen, "Who _else_ is sleeping here, mom?" She tried not to stare when her mom entered the room, but she looked long enough to see her mother give her and Kate a glance before looking back down to the glasses she placed next to the plates that sat in front of each chair. Ryan sat in one of them, reading something on his phone.

"Still an early riser I see," Ryan sarcastically joked, not looking from his phone. Vanessa continuing her breakfast preparation without speaking. The brunette tried desperately to analyze her parents' every move and word, to see if they gave away anything. Max was so engrossed in her observing that she jumped a little when Kate walked past her and approached Vanessa just as she placed the last glass.

_What_ _the_ _fuck_ _is_ _she_ _doing!?_

Theblonde asked, "Is there anything I can help with?"

Max felt relief, but still was filled with tension for the unnecessary communication going on with Kate and her mother.

Vanessa smiled and said, "You're still the sweetest, but you go ahead and sit. It'll all be ready soon. I hope you like eggs, toast, and bacon." There was something muted in her tone. It worried both girls.

"Sounds good to me," Kate said quietly while Max said nothing.

Both girls looked to Ryan as he put his phone down and turned around to see them. "So, good morning, ladies. Sleep well?" He had a mug of coffee sitting next to, which he took a sip of, and put back down.

Max tried to figure out if she should read deeper into his words, but answered for them both, saying, "Mostly."

"I guess that's better than bad, right?"

"Yeah..." Max spoke distractedly as she started formulating a theory. Her dad seemed normal. Her mother though seemed a little quieter than usual. Maybe even less cheerful, she thought. Max thought on how best to test her thinking.

Kate looked minorly distressed at not being able to assist Vanessa, but went to sit on the other side of Ryan's seat, but he had already gotten out and stepped in front of her to pull her chair out. Kate thanked him, seeming distant as she sat. He did the same for Max and said, "Still teaching by example."

Vanessa sucked in her bottom lip for a second as if in thought, but then the look went away as she said, "Almost ready," and returned to the kitchen.

Sitting in the wooden chair, Max kept her eyes off Kate. She felt that any look she gave her would erase any remaining doubt about this relationship, and she wanted to have control of her coming out. Glancing over to her mom, who came back in with a pan of eggs, she asked her, "Hey mom...did...one of you...check on us, last night?

Vanessa froze with spatula in hand, mid scoop, and then said, "Oh...yeah. I couldn't sleep."

Max waited fearfully for her to go on, but she said nothing more, but just puts some eggs on the brunette's plate.

_Oh god...she saw us...what is she thinking...?_

Max already knew one of the parents came in the bedroom, but the confirmation from her mom made it all too real now.

Vanessa continued serving the eggs, moving on to each other plate. When finished, she said, "Hope everyone doesn't mind scrambled today. I'm feeling like keeping things simple this morning."

Her words were being analyzed over and over by the girls, but neither was sure if it meant anything.

Ryan said, "Any eggs from you are good eggs. We're just lucky I'm not making them. That would be a disaster. Burnt eggs at best."

He looked over to Vanessa who did not really react to his comment. She instead walked over to get more food and his smile fell a little. Ryan got up and followed her over, into the kitchen. Max could just see down into the other room where her parents stood by the sink. Her dad came from behind Vanessa to embrace her and Max could hear him whisper a little too loudly, "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said in an almost a forced cheerfulness. "Just didn't sleep good, I told you."

Max felt like the room was spinning. This didn't feel right to her. Her mother was not acting normal at all. Ryan knew it too.

"Okay..." He said, parting from her reluctantly after kissing her cheek. He then came back to the table. As he sat down, he asked the girls, "So when do you two plan on heading out?" He hastily added, "Not that I'm rushing you. Quite the opposite. You mentioned last night though about leaving early...?"

Kate let Max speak for them. The brunette slowly responded, still spiraling into a frantic panic she was barely holding in, saying, "Uh...yeah...some...time before lunch I think. Maybe sometime soon...after breakfast."

"So soon?" Ryan said, showing some disappointment.

Vanessa came over to the table and was not commenting on their discussion, but silently served bacon. Max glanced at her unreadable expression and then said to her dad, "Yeah...Kate has to feed Alice...and we should get our friend's car back..." Hearing her own excuse for leaving so early made her realize how inadequate it sounded, but neither parent argued against it. Ryan simply nodded.

After finishing with the bacon, Vanessa left, but came right back with a pitcher of orange juice, along with a plate of toast. She said, "I can pop in more toast if anyone wants any, but everyone take one for now."

Ryan said, "I think I'll have another, but don't worry sweetie, just have a seat. I can get it. Something in her expression indicated she was about to fight letting him make his own toast. Max almost thought she was looking for an excuse not to sit, but she did and said nothing to stop her husband. Vanessa did not look at either of the girls.

Ryan called out, "Anyone else?" Blonde and brunette looked at each other and Max turned back to her dad and shook her head for both of them then added, "But um, thanks."

Vanessa let out a long quiet breath. She had her hand on her fork, but it remained laying on the table.

Max felt like she had to say something, anything. The silence from her mom was killing her.

"Um...thanks for...breakfast mom..."

Vanessa finally looked at her and said weakly, "...Sure, honey."

_Oh god, are those tears in her eyes?_

Her mom then looked down and picked up her fork and stuck it in her own eggs, but she left it there.

She just had to say it, Max thought. This was unbearable.

"Mom, I-"

Vanessa interrupted her though, slamming her fork back down and said, almost crying, "You know you can tell me anything, right?" Her voice shook.

This made Max start to tear up as well. Kate just look frozen in panic. Ryan stepped in from the kitchen, looking concerned.

Max's mouth parted and she struggled to give a reply. She then said, "I...uh, what...are you talking about?" even when she knew there was a clear understanding between mother and daughter on what was going on. She wasn't ready for the conversation to suddenly start like this, with her mom already knowing, so she delayed for the last few moments she could.

"What _are_ you talking about? What is going on?" Ryan said and moved to get behind Vanessa and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Mrs. Caulfield first look to the side towards her husband and then back to Max to quietly say, "He doesn't know..."

"Doesn't know what?" Ryan said, his voice rising just slightly, frustrated with confusion and knowing now that somethings seemed to be kept from him.

"Are you going to tell him, or were you planning on just leaving and never telling us ever?" Her hurt look pleaded to Max to speak.

The brunette looked down searching around for nothing except for an answer to give. She finally was able to stumble out a reply, saying, "No...I...that's...that's why we...we came here, to tell you..." Her lip quivered.

Ryan suddenly put it together. The realization was plain on his face. He said, "You were right..." talking to Vanessa, but almost sounding like he spoke to himself. "You said it years ago when we were still in Arcadia Bay, when..." He turned to Max, continuing. "...you spent all that time with...Chloe..."

Kate bit her lip at the name, being mentioned, but said nothing. Vanessa just stared at Max, with a mixture of emotions, but some tears began to fall.

He tried to continue, saying, "I just didn't-"

"You didn't _want_ it to be true?!" Max said almost accusingly and louder than she planned with fear underlying everything.

Ryan's blank face of shock turned to pity and compassion. He put a hand out toward her, but she scooted back in her chair. He took it back and frowned for a second, but said, "No, baby...not at all. I just didn't think there were enough signs. I wasn't...sure as your mother and we...well, we stopped talking about it after we moved. We never saw you like that with another girl...I guess...not until now." He turned to Kate who lowered herself in her chair, not liking the attention directed over to her. Ryan looked back to his daughter and said, "I just wasn't looking for it anymore. So it's true? You and her are..."

Her father was the one to finally directly ask the question even if he didn't finish his sentence.

Max answered the question, speaking in a tone that challenged him to say anything against it. "Yes, dad. We're together...and...and I _love_ her!" She took Kate's hand and the two looked at each other for a few short moments with a mixture of worry, and longing to comfort each other. Both felt completely vulnerable now with the complete truth exposed. Based on her parent's reactions so far, part of Max knew that she probably didn't need to be so defensive, but her stress about the whole situation, along with her previous experience with Kate's family was making it hard for her to think clearly beyond her fears of rejection from her parents.

Vanessa looked shocked now as much as Ryan. Max turned back to her father as he said, "You..._love_ her?" not really asking, but processing what she said out loud.

Her mother had come down from her stunned state and calmly said, to Max's complete surprise, "That's...that's wonderful sweetie. I'm so happy for you...for you both." Max sensed pure sincerity and love from her mother. Her father added, "We're _both_ happy for you."

She broke from the relief and put her hand to her face and let her head fall to the table as she started sobbing tears. Kate started to cry too and slipped into the edge of Max's seat to hold her from the side, not caring that her parents were watching. She just wanted to hold and comfort her love and knew being close to her would make herself feel better too. Kate was tired of pretending, of not being near.

Ryan and Vanessa looked at each other, uncertain whether to go them both or give them space. Ryan gave her a nod and they both got up and went behind both girls and embraced them both from either side. The girls cried even harder and Vanessa cried more too. Max's father was not able to keep his eyes dry either, being swept up in the emotional moment as well.

Vanessa spoke up when she was able to compose herself, saying, "We love you, Max...we'll always love you and we only want you to be happy. And you picked the perfect girl. We love you too, Kate. I couldn't ask for anyone better for my Max."

Kate looked over to Vanessa with tears flowing and saw the Caulfield parent put a hand out to her. She reached across Max and took it, crying harder.

After this, Ryan jumped right in, saying, "And nothing's changed, Max. I'm...I'm sorry I couldn't see the truth...that you felt like you had to hide it." His face was becoming downcast. He obviously was feeling guilt over his ignorance. "You can be yourself...I knew since you were born...well, even before that, that I would love you, no matter who you grew up to be. And there's nothing wrong with who I know you are now. I wish I did better letting you know that."

Max sniffled and said, "No...I...I knew it, but this is so...so much more...so bigger than...anything...I was still so scared. I'm sorry I doubted you...both of you..."

"Don't be sorry, sweetie. We understand," Vanessa said as she still rested her head against her daughter's.

"We do," Ryan added, then moved his body back a little, saying, "Sorry, Kate. I should have asked before I hugged you like that, but I wanted you to know we love you too. You are part of our family now, more than ever."

Kate smiled, and wiped away her tears before saying, "It's fine...um, Ryan...actually, I...uh, really needed it."

Ryan returned her smile with his own, glad he did not make her uncomfortable. He then asked, "So...did you still need to leave early..." in a way that indicated he was hoping they would say no.

Max looked to Kate who gave a small smile and shook her head. The brunette said, "No dad, we'll stay a bit longer."

"Good," he said with a pleased grin.

With that, the group embrace ended, and Kate let go of but Max regained Kate's hand with a firm hold and moved her other hand over it as well.

The parents paused, making sure it was okay to move away from the girls, that they were okay now. Seeming that there were calming down, the parents sat back down on the other side of the table.

When they returned to their chairs, Vanessa said, "I'm sorry too, Max. I was...afraid that you were never going to tell me. I guess I was wrong." She put out her hand across the table and again said, "I'm so sorry for getting so upset. I feel ridiculous now."

Max put her hand out to reach her mother's and squeezed, then said, "It's okay, mom." There was some silence and then Max lightened the mood a little by saying, "This is still embarrassing though," referring to reaching across the table to hold hands.

Vanessa smiled and said, "But you do it because you love me."

"There can't be any other reason," Max jokingly confirmed.

Vanessa became thoughtful and then said, "Is it okay if I ask you two some questions?

Max looked at Kate who made a face that was the equivalent of a nervous shrug, so she said to her mother, "Sure...I guess that's fine..."

Vanessa smiled, trying to put them at ease, then said, "How long have you two actually been together. I guess the question is...when would the anniversary be?"

Both girls became bashful at the word of 'anniversary', but Max looked at Kate and then said, "I guess, Wednesday, right?"

"Yeah...officially," the blonde replied.

Ryan asked, "So when we visited, you weren't..."

Max shook her head and said, "No...I mean...we knew something was going on, but we didn't really talk about it yet."

Vanessa turned to Kate and asked, "And what about your parents? Have you told them? I'd imagine that-"

She stopped though, seeing Kate close her eyes and partially cover her face. A tear could be seen going down the cheek that was less hidden.

"Oh, no...you poor child." Vanessa put a hand to her chest, feeling horrible for bringing it up. Even though Max had now moved to hold Kate, turning her to allow the blonde to lay her head against her shoulder, Mrs. Caulfield got up and went to the silently crying girl. She crouched down and put her hand on Kate's back, making a comforting circle motion.

Vanessa tenderly said, "I am so sorry, Kate." The blonde's breathing was increasing in pace and becoming shaky. After a pause, the older woman continued, saying, "Kate, you are always welcome in our house...and I can't replace a parent...but if there is anything you need...anything I can do...in _that_ role, anything _we _can do or be for you..."

She looked over to Ryan who nodded and said, "Yes, either of us."

Vanessa went on, saying, "...then we will be that for you. You _are _part of this family now. We will be here for you as much as we are for Max. We already love you." As she spoke, Kate turned to look at her and when Vanessa stopped speaking, the blonde gave her a fierce embrace which the woman returned equally. Over Kate's shoulder, Max saw her mom's face, eyes closed and tears coming down. She got up and went behind her mom. When Vanessa and Kate's hug ended, Max was noticed waiting for her, so her mother stood up and turned around and Max also gave her a tight embrace and said, "Thank you, mom...I love you. Thank you..."

Vanessa felt Kate slip her fingers to hold her hand that lay on Max's back. The blonde said to Vanessa as she looked at her through her watery eyes, "This means everything to me. Thank you...thank you for loving me."

Mrs. Caulfield just smiled back and squeezed Kate's hand.

After a few more quiet moments and changes in positions, the four moved to the living room and sat on the couches. They made small talk for a while, but more serious conversation couldn't help but come up. During the middle of their talk though, Max's phone buzzed. She took it out and checked who was texting her.

**Vi: **This is Liz. Vi was in an accident last night.

_No..._

There was more to the text, but Max dropped the phone and put her hand to her mouth in shock. She looked frantically around the room and the others stared at her worried and confused.

Ryan asked as he got up, "Max, what's wrong?"

Vanessa, also getting up, said with concern, "Honey?"

"I have to find my bag..."

Kate had picked up the phone to look at what made max react so strongly. The blonde try to get her attention, saying, "Em..."

It was as if the freckled girl didn't even hear her. She just started bolting to the stairs. As she ran up, Kate shouted, "Wait! Em!...Max!" The brunette did not hesitate for a moment, but just flew up the steps and so Kate ran after her, phone in hand. As she reached the stairs, Vanessa quickly asked, "Kate, what's going in on?!" She had noticed the blonde looked at Max's phone which she assumed must have the explanation.

Kate gave her an apologetic look, and said, "Uh...just give us some space for a minute...um...sorry," before racing up the stairs, not having time to explain.

The blonde caught up to Max in her room as she was going through her bag, frantically looking for something. She was mumbling to herself, saying, "I only have the one photo, b-but m-maybe it was bef-fore the accident. W-we should get back home and get to the ph-photo album. I know I can s-save her with those." Her breath was ragged.

Kate moved up to Max and put a hand on Max's to stop her searching. The blonde said, "Vi's okay. She's alive."

Max's hands stopped and she finally looked at Kate and said, "What?"

"I _knew_ you didn't read the whole thing. Here, love," she said as she handed over the phone.

**Vi: **This is Liz. Vi was in an accident last night. You need to come here as soon as you can. She's okay, but pretty banged up. I can't stay though, and she shouldn't be alone right now. Roly was with her all last night, but he already had to leave. Please let me know if you can come back soon.

An address to a hospital was sent directly after the text.

When Max put the phone down, Kate said, "See? I'm sorry, but you can't even do anything for her right now." She put her arm around her girlfriend and pulled her into an embrace. Max began to cry from finally knowing and fully accepting that Vi was okay as she let go of the fear of losing another person close to her. She slowly took in Kate's words and knew she was right. From the text, it sounded like the accident happened last night at the latest. The only photo Max had on her was from this morning. She was not thinking clearly enough to even consider if Kate had the photo from the bus on her.

Not knowing what Max was thinking, the blonde said, "Let's go to her first and then see what we should do. Is that okay?"

Max felt the tears slowing down and slipped an arm between them to wipe them away. Kate took one hand off the freckled girl to help gently smooth away the last of them. Max nodded finally in answer to her girlfriend's question and quietly said, "Okay."

"Just let me know when you're ready to go,"

Right when Kate's sentence ended, Max pulled away from the blonde, but took her hand as she said, "Now. Let's go now."

Kate said, "Okay, let's go. But let's get our things first."

"Oh, yeah..."

Kate grabbed both of their bags and said, "I got them, let's get down there and tell your parents. They're probably still freaking out right now."

"Oh, shit. You're right..."

Max took her hand again and they walked down together like that, subconsciously happy they could do it now without worry, but their minds were on the current situation.

Both parents were standing by the bottom of the stairs. Ryan was holding Vanessa who turned from him to walk over to the girls. Their face still asked the question.

Kate answered it, saying, "Our friend, Vi...the one who lent us the car was in an accident."

Vanessa put her hand to her mouth and Ryan looked immediately saddened. The blonde quickly added, to clarify, "She's okay though, but in the hospital." Both parents looked instantly relieved. They may have known the girl, but they knew this type of loss and what it might do to their daughter.

Kate continued, saying, "We need to go be there for her. So...I'm sorry, but we're leaving now."

Vanessa but her lip, upset to see them go so suddenly but nodded. Ryan said, "We understand girls. We'll miss you, but go be there for your friend." He guided his wife over and they all exchanged firm embraces, with just a few last tears.

The brunette's mother held her hands as she said, "Call soon, Max...please? I love you so much, honey...and you too Kate," turning to her with a warm smile, but looking like she might start crying again.

"Okay, mom. I will. Love you too," Max said as they parted.

"Love you both..." Kate added.

With his hand on his wife's shoulder, he said, "Love you too, Kate. We'll let you get to your friend now." You both drive safe."

"Just her." Kate softly said.

"Well, I taught her well. You're in good hands."

Kate blushed, partly just from the innocent interpretation of his last sentence, but also how else she could take it. He seemed to realize it and made an awkward cough before saying, "So, yeah...hope your friend is okay," steering them back to the matter at hand.

"Me too," Max said. They bid their final goodbyes before the couple finally left the Caulfield home and got into Betty, to make their way back to Arcadia Bay.


	35. Chapter 35

As they sped off, Max handed Kate her phone to text Liz (on Vi's phone) to let her know that they were coming and when they expected to be there. Kate asked for Liz's number so they wouldn't have to use other people's phones to communicate anymore. Once she had it, she slipped the Max's phone back in her pocket. Kate was not feeling very flirtatious at the moment with the current situation, but Max raised her eyebrows at the contact and the blonde smiled. The moment didn't last any longer than that.

After a few hours of driving they went through some periods of time without speaking. Just loving glances and hand holding communicated what was needed through the underlying somber mood. After one of these stretches of silence, Max asked, "How you feeling, heart?"

Kate had her sketchbook on her lap, open with a partial drawing made. She closed it over her pencil and said, "I'm feeling good...besides what's going on with Vi and everything else...but considering all that...I can't complain if I'm with you. I _did_ want to tell your parents something, and it's bugging me that I couldn't, but I know it's too soon..."

"Tell them what?"

"That they don't need to worry about not having grandkids."

Max's eyes widened and she took her eyes off the road a second to give Kate a look. She turned back to face forward and said, "_Yeah_, that's too soon!"

Putting the stretchbook to hide her face, the pencil fell out into her lap, but Kate left it there and said, "I know...I just...had this urge to tell her, like I _knew_ it was on her mind...Think Em, she's been suspecting you since..." Kate didn't want to say 'Chloe'. "...since before you even moved or maybe she just plain _knew_ for that long, so I'm sure she's thought about it for a while. We both know what it's like having to hold something in for years."

"You really are the smart one...but also the _crazy_ one! That would be insane to bring up."

"That's why I didn't...but I wanted to..."

"Someday..."

"Yeah..."

"Someday long long loooooooong away."

"Okay okay, geez, Em." Kate smiled and rolled her eyes.

Kate paused and then said, "So...would you _consider_ getting pregnant? I'm sure if you really didn't want to get pregnant, your mom would be happy with a baby from me...but I think you'd be so cute all preggers. I bet you'd be all regular looking from behind, but you turn around and just have this huge baby bump."

"Are we still really talking about this?" Max playfully whined.

"Am I pushing you away, bringing it up?"

"Of course not, but-"

"Then I'm going to keep talking about it. It makes me happy."

Max sighed and said with a relenting smile, "Well, I guess you can talk about it then. I'm not going to deny my heart happiness."

"Thanks, love. We can move on though...for now..."

"Whatever you want..."

"That should be your response to anything I say," Kate said with a grin.

"Like you don't know by now how I can't say no to you."

Kate just smiled wickedly.

Max noticed and said, "Yeah, you know all _too_ well, don't you?"

Kate said nothing but kept the smile as she looked the other way.

They were starting to allow themselves the happiness that came from the loving response from Max's parents. Their destination still tempered their joy from becoming giddiness, but they couldn't help having their spirits raised from the visit.

"Hey, so what are you drawing there anyways?"

"Nothing, just...a work of art."

"Aren't all your drawings works of art?

"This one's special."

"Oh really. But, you're not going to tell me what it is?"

"I'll show you when I'm done."

Max shook her head, but did not prod anymore. When they were silent for a while, and she kept looking at her in between drawing, the brunette knew her suspicions were confirmed that Kate was sketching her. The fact that she had to look at her meant it was probably not going to be her girlfriend's usual cute cartoon style. Max was very curious to see how it would turn out.

At one point later, Kate seemed done.

Max fake coughed. The blonde did not react. Max made another cough, but much more obviously unnecessary. "Well...?" she asked.

"You're driving!"

Grumbling, Max sighed and said, "Okay, okay...As soon as we park, though!"

"Of course." She paused, then said, "It turned out beautiful, just as it should be."

Max and Kate shared a knowing look and Max gave a shy smile. The blonde knew her freckled girlfriend figured out what she was working on and Max knew that Kate realized her awareness.

Max had a realization and said, "Oh, are we still meeting Steph at the arcade? I don't know how long we'll be with Vi. I can't imagine it will be that long, but maybe we should warn her."

"Doesn't hurt," Kate said with a head tilt. She put out her hand and Max did nothing at first, but then looked at it with a confused expression.

"Oh, yeah..." You got Vi's number, not Steph's." She made an embarrassed smile and then got out her phone again, giving it to Kate.

The blonde quickly found Steph, now in contacts and started texting. Once done, she said, "There." I told her we were going to the hospital for a friend and weren't sure if we would make it tonight, giving her an approximate time they would arrive to give her an idea of but would let her know if we could later when we knew better."

A minute later a reply text came.

**Steph: **No problem! I hope your friend is okay. Don't worry about coming. We can always meet later. I do really want to talk, but it's about the priorities.

Kate read the text and then said, "She seems nice."

"Yeah," but wondered if she meant it in a jealous way. It was hard not to blame her between Chloe and Victoria. Steph was probably not even into girls though, Max thought.

Once they approached the hospital, Kate and Max had some flashbacks of when she visited. Instead of bringing up the past trauma for the blonde, it only reminded her of how caring Max was and how much it meant. She squeezed her freckled girlfriend's hand firmly as they came near the main building. Max misinterpreted it as anxiety and asked, "Are you okay?"

"What? Oh, no...I'm fine. I was just thinking how sweet you were visiting me when I was here. I was crushing on you so hard then."

Max felt just a little bashful, but was more so feeling butterflies in her stomach at Kate's description of the past as she continued.

Kate said, "If you could have been in my head when we hugged..." She blushed at her own thoughts.

"And here we are..." Max said staring at her.

"Oh, yeah...I guess we should get out."

Max looked out the window and realized that she had parked. "Oh, actually I meant...um, never mind..." The brunette felt silly for not realizing she had gotten the car into a spot. Kate had that strong of an effect on her, making every other part of reality take a back seat and she was left on autopilot.

As soon as they got out of the car, with Max again insisting on opening it for her. When she did, Kate handed her the sketchpad with her drawing showing in the front.

Max took it in her hands and looked at the image of herself, a side portrait that looked incredible. She could tell it was her, but this girl seemed too gorgeous to be herself.

_Is this how she sees me? Or is this really me?_

Max almost couldn't believe either possibility. All she said though was, "It's amazing, Katie. I love it."

"It's you...so I had to do that beautiful face justice."

Max smiled, feeling tingles go through her body at the compliment. She looked at it one more time before handing it back. Kate put it back in the car and Max locked it up.

As they walked away from Betty, the mood completely changed back to the somber tone it was when they first headed out from the Caulfield home.

They walked together, but did not hold hands. Max barely remembered that they were back in Arcadia Bay where they couldn't love each other freely yet in public. She couldn't wait for tomorrow to come.

After they stepped inside, Max got out her phone and texted let Liz to let her know that they were there. She reminded them of the room number and with that information, and showing their IDs to prove they were at least 18, they were able to get to Vi's room. As their destination grew nearer, the intensity of the situation fell harder on them. Neither said a word in the way until they stood in front of the final door.

Both girls looked at each other and, seeing no one in the hall, Kate closed the gap between them and held Max, whispering in her ear, "It's going to be okay. Let's just be here for Vi."

"Right. Yeah..." Max nodded as Kate reluctantly parted from her after giving her a brief firmer hug.

Kate nodded to her and Max lightly knocked right before opening the door. It was not as bad as they feared, but the brunette was somehow reminded of Chloe in the alternate timeline where she was paralyzed and for a second she saw her instead of Vi, but she shook her head and the image went away. She could now see Vi laying in bed with a neck brace and a leg in a caste. Liz was sitting in a chair next to her and turned as they came in.

"My babies are here!" Vi said cheerfully.

Liz said, "You made it," and got up. She gave each girl and hug and said, "I'm sorry, but I gotta go. I'm already late for work." She came in close when she hugged Max and whispered, "Please stay as long as you can. Visiting hours end at 8. She's not in a good place. I told the doctors, but they aren't taking me seriously."

"What the fuck secrets are you telling them, Liz!? I hurt my leg, not my brain. I can see you, right there!" Vi shouted in her upbeat, but sassy tone.

Max nodded and that satisfied Liz. The friend went back to Vi, ignoring her comments and took her hand, saying, "Stay strong you tough bitch. We're not a band without you."

"Fuck right, you're not. Fuck, this sucks...but shit, only you would put up with my grumpy ass all this time, Liz. Now get out of here and let me love my babies."

"Love you too, Vi."

"Cut that shit out, fuck," she said, still smiling.

"I'll see you soon. Hope they'll still let you out tomorrow."

"Fuck, they better. It's boring as shit here, as these two love birds are about to find out."

"Bye, Vi."

"Go already!"

Liz nodded to the girls and left the room. As the door closed, Max swore she heard Vi mumble, "Love you too, Liz."

The girls now approached the bed. Max asked, "So, maybe stupid question, but how are you feeling?"

"It might bestupid, but I appreciate you asking, Maxie. I feel like shit. Momma Vi has been trying to take care of her babies, now my babies need to take care of me. I didn't think this day would come so soon."

"You're not that much older than us."

"Five years can feel like a lot sometimes." Vi froze looking blank then closed her eyes as she loudly said, "Fuck!" She rolled her eyes and added, "I never slip that easy."

"You don't like telling people your age?" Kate asked. Max came closer to the blonde and wrapped an arm around her, resting a hand on her hip.

"Actually, angel, I really don't like telling people anything."

"So...is it not okay to ask...what happened?" Kate said.

"My blonde bombshell baby cuts to the quick. I like it. Well...I guess I was going to end up having to tell you eventually. The short story is, I was driving R-" She stopped herself and seemed to get upset, but then huffed and said, "...driving my bike when this car came in from the right and bam...I kept on going, even when I knew he was going to do it." Her tone became less sassy and more level.

"And how's your bike?" Max asked.

Vi's mood turned a little dark as she first paused, but then replied, "Totalled. So the fuckers say. But I'm going to fix it. I don't care what it costs."

It was quiet for a moment then Kate started with, "Vi?" She then held their friend's hand. Vi didn't seem to expect the touch and so almost imperceptibly jumped, and turned to her as the blonde asked, "What do you mean you kept going? You didn't...let them hit you on purpose, did you?"

Vi seemed scared. She looked caught or guilty. First looking away, seeming about to deny it, she then said, much too quietly as she looked down, "I...I didn't try to hit him..."

"But you let the car hit _you_?..._Why_?" Kate was now shocked at the all but admittance of her suspicion. Both her and Max looked down with concern and pity. Vi couldn't directly face those stares.

"I..." Her eyes closed and her face turned angry. She growled. "I don't fucking cry...not in front of anyone. Not anymore. Fuck!" She growled again and slowly shook her head as much as her neck brace allowed.

Kate caressed Vi's hand and leaned down closer. The older girl looked up with heavy breathes, but slowed them down and said, "Oh...sweet angel...I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." seemingly apologizing for her temper. "I...I wouldn't ever do it myself...but...if it's meant to be..."

"Vi...what are you talking about?" Max said with concern.

The older girl seemed to stare off now. It was like she wasn't even taking to them anymore, but just herself as she said, "It's been two years now of waiting...I've only been riding a little more than that." After a pause, she said with quiet anger, "Fucking motorcycles..." Her fury flared up as she kept speaking, emphasizing every word as she said, "Fucking god damn fucking motorcycles!" She continuously lifted her head and threw it back as she spoke. Vi suddenly became quiet. The girls just watched her, not knowing what to say, but she was quickly calm again after her breathing slowed down. She stared off.

"Vi...?" Max murmured.

As the older girl still looked away, she said quietly, "These fucking bikes...It was never my thing, still isn't...It was..._her's_..."

When she didn't go on, Kate delicately asked, "Who?"

Vi turned back to Kate again and was starting to breathe faster again. She tried to speak. "R..." She shut her eyes as she shook her head and bit her lip.

"Riley?" Kate softly asked.

Vi's eyes shot open again, now looking glassy and pained as they stared directly into Kate's.

She turned her head back and forth as she now searched outward, not seeing the room but again was imagining somewhere far away, as she said, "It was the _same_ _fucking_ thing in almost the _same_ _fucking_ place, on the _same_ _fucking_ night! I should be with her now! Why do I get to stay? Why the fuck couldn't she have a broken leg and just be here instead of fucking shitty ass me!"

Vi broke down completely at this point and began sobbing. Kate tried to lean over the bed and hold her as best she could. Max had come closer as well and held her other hand. Both girls tried to comfort her while the tears poured down. They cried some too, unable to not be affected by her pain.

After several long minutes, after the crying had stopped and Vi had some time to calm down, she took a long breath and said, "Fuck...I said I wouldn't cry. All bets are off now. Back to the nothing I was...before..."

Sensing her sentence was cut short, Max tried finishing it, saying, "Before Riley?"

"But you're not nothing, Vi," Kate said.

Still speaking in passive tones, Vi said, only responding to Max, "Fuck yes. Before...before Riley." It almost seemed to physically hurt her when she said the name. It never did before, but now it was the hardest thing for her to say out loud. She went on though, saying, "I never rode a motorcycle, never pierced my nose, didn't have the nerve to tell people to eat shit when deserved it...but..she still loved me..." Vi sounded incredulous with a touch of happiness coming through.

She had been speaking all while staring off, but now look to the girls when she said, "You should have seen her. She was fucking amazing. I never deserved her. Back then, _I_ was the baby gay. I was _her_ baby gay. She didn't care that I was still figuring out my shit. All she knew was my shitty parents kicked me out when I figured out who I was and that I'd be living on the streets if she didn't take me in, so...she did. She didn't want or expect anything from me. She just...wanted to help. That's how fucking awesome she was. Later...things just...happened."

Vi let out long breath and said, "Fuck, I don't even talk about this with Liz or Roly. They already know though. They were there for most of it."

Kate said, "You don't need to talk about it anymore if you don't want to. We understand."

Vi let out another long but shorter breath, pushing it out between her closed lips and then said, "Fuck...no, actually...it feels like therapy and shit. You baby gays just get it out of me somehow."

"Us baby gays gotta help each other out,"

"Girrrrl... I said I _was_ a baby gay. I'm a grownass badass gay now. R...Riley made sure of that." She smirked and said, "But no, you're right. And I'll always have your backs too. Oh...fuck," Vi said having a realization, then said, "I haven't asked how it went...Should I?"

Even though Vi said she could keep talking about Riley, it seemed like she was trying to change the conversation, but they let it go. Max looked over to Kate as she said, "You should. You _really_ should," and smiled, then turned her grin to Max who smiled warmly back.

"Well, fuck. Tell me!"

The girls went back and forth between each other explaining everything that had happened. Vi had plenty of questions and commentary during their summary. At the end she said, "Well that is _fucking_ great! I'm so happy it turned out okay." Her joy faltered though as she looked apologetically over to Kate and put her hand on the blonde's arm.

"It's okay. You can be happy for us," Kate said, only letting the reminder of her own family's fallout diminish her good mood a little bit.

"Well, I _am_. Now I _really_ want to celebrate my favorite couple...you two give a fucker like me some hope. Next show I'm dedicating a song to you...wait...will that be okay next week, or will it still be on the DL?"

"No, Vi. It should be okay then," Kate said happily.

"Good! Thank Jesus I didn't break my arms and can actually still do next week's show. Oh, sorry angel."

Kate gave a slight shrug.

"I just need to get my broken ass carried over there."

"We'll help drive you if you want," Max offered.

"Thanks, Maxie. I may need that ride. I mean fuck, it _is_ my car, but you're not my chauffeurs, but I could sure use one now. In fact, could you come by tomorrow when they let me out of this disease pit?"

"Sure, no problem. Just text us, but I hope it's in the afternoon. We have church."

"Fuck, really?"

"The...um, last one," Kate added quietly.

Vi's mouth slightly parted with the realization. "Oh...that's what you've been waiting for...well...shit, I guess do what you gotta do. I understand. I mean, I don't really, but I respect it. I'll figure things out with Liz or Roly if you're busy."

"Just text us. We'll be here if we can," Kate said.

Right after she spoke, Max's phone buzzed. She brought it out and looked back up at Kate with a puzzled expression. She said, "It's Steph...she's here."

"What?" Kate said, now sharing in the confusion.

Max continued, "She's asking for the room number."

Vi jumped in, saying, "Is she hot?"

Both girls' eyes widened for a moment and then Max said, "Wow, Vi. Actually, I never met her."

"Relax, I'm just joking," Vi said. Then added, "Sort of. But wait, what do you mean you never met her?"

"She texted out of no where a couple days ago. She knew...um...Chloe."

"Fuck..." Vi paused a moment. She looked at Kate and asked, "And how do you feel about this, sweet Kate?"

"I...well...I think she should talk to her. It'd be good for her."

"You sure?" Vi said, locking eyes as of to look for hidden feelings.

"Yes. I'm sure," Kate said, meaning it.

"Well, text the rando and get her up here."

Max texted the information and said, "Okay, done."

"So how did she know Chloe?"

To Max's surprise, Kate said, "I forgot to tell you Em, I think this is a girl who graduated last school year from Blackwell. I didn't think of it until later. If it is her, I never knew her. I just know there was a Steph that did some work for the sound and lights for the plays."

After talking some more about the little she knew, there was a knock and the door opened. A girl with fairly long brown hair under a beanie came in holding an assortment of flowers.

Max swore she saw Vi's eyes light up and turned and saw the girl who must be Steph staring back at Vi, like a deer in the headlights, but only for a moment. She soon l turned to the other girls and said, "Max?" looking to the correct person.

"Yeah, hi," Max said and gave a polite smile.

Steph stepped in and put out her hand and Max took it. Before Max could introduce Kate, the new visitor offered her hand now to the blonde and said, "Hi, I'm Steph. You are?"

"Kate. Nice to meet you."

They shook hands and exchanged smiles. Steph then turned to Vi, in her bed and said, "And I'm sorry, I probably should have greeted you first."

"S'okay. I'm not going anywhere, obviously." Max thought Vi seemed suddenly more docile now. It felt odd.

"These are for you, of course. I would have brought roses if I knew their friend was a pretty girl."

Max and Kate exchanged startled looks with each other over the brazenly forward behavior of this stranger who now almost made Vi speechless. She recovered though and said, "Damn, Maxie. I like your friend. Friend of a friend. Whoever the hell you are."

"Steph will do for now." She put the flowers down on a table, then came back and said, "Looks like you got fucked up pretty bad. So sorry that happened."

"I'll live. Thanks for, uh, those," Vi said, indicating the flowers. "So...you knew Chloe?"

Steph seemed to snap out of something and looked at Max and Kate like she just remembered that they were there. She said, "Oh...yeah...we got to hang out at this hospital once. Both visiting a friend. But, yeah...I miss that girl. Chloe was such a good person...I'm so sorry...and Rachel...life's just not fair sometimes."

Kate was watching for Max's reaction. The brunette seemed to be becoming upset, but was holding it in. She simply nodded in response to Steph. The blonde wasn't looking for something to be jealous about though, but only to see if she needed to comfort her love. She put an arm around Max, not caring that Steph was in the room. Her girlfriend seemed to appreciate the affection and leaned into her.

"You can fucking say that again," Vi said after Steph spoke, then clarified, saying, "Oh, not about this. Other...much worse shit."

"You sure do curse a lot," Steph said.

Vi was taken aback by the unexpected comment and the girls watched a little tensely to see her reaction.

Before she got over being stunned, Steph added, "I like it."

Vi smiled, surprised again. She stared at Steph like she was trying to figure her out. The older girl ended up just saying, "Well it doesn't fucking turn off either way."

Steph shrugged and conversation continued for while. At one point, Steph volunteered to make a run to the cafeteria for food. After she was gone Max asked, "So what's going on, Vi?"

"What do you mean?"

Max gave her a look that said she shouldn't have to explain.

Vi looked defensive and said, "Fuck, what? Nothing. I don't know what you're talking about." Both Max and Kate believed she knew exactly what they were implying. There was a long period of silence and then small talk resumed for a little bit until Steph came back. They all ate and chatted until finally visiting hours were about to end.

"I guess we better head out," Max said reluctantly, but knew they needed good sleep for church tomorrow and guessed they would still be up a while talking to unwind until they would pass out.

"We love you, Vi," Kate said and both girls came over to give her gentle hugs.

Max asked, "Are you going to be okay tonight?"

"Psh, I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."

Kate said, "Call or text if you need to talk. Either one of us."

"Thanks, angel."

As the two girls started toward the door, they assumed Steph was about to say goodbye too, but instead she said to Vi, "Do you mind if I stay a little longer until they kick me out?"

Vi's eyebrows raised up for a second, but she casually said, "Sure...that'd be fine. More than fine."

Steph turned to the girls and gave them hugs, which they returned without hesitation, now feeling closer to this person who was a stranger just a few hours ago. For Kate, there were some conflicting feelings, but she could tell Steph had a good heart and knew the girl's presence wasn't going to jeopardize her relationship with Max.

They again said goodbye to Vi and left. Before the door closed, Max saw Steph get close beside Vi's bed as they began to talk. She turned around and saw Kate looking as well. When the door was shut, they looked at each other with a shared gleeful smile.

"Do you think..." Max began.

"Yes," Kate simply said. The couple didn't need to say anymore for now as they made their way back to Betty.

Author's Note: I know Kate's backstory already had gone through this topic, but now that it's actually sort of happening within the story, I feel like I should say that if anyone reading has thoughts of suicide, please seek help. I hope my story doesn't need this, and doubt it does, but better safe than sorry.

This is a national suicide prevention hotline available 24-7: 1-800-273-8255


	36. Chapter 36

As the two girls were driving back to Blackwell, Kate began to look worried. She finally said, "Should we have left Vi like that, after what she told us?"

"Visiting hours were about to be over, we wouldn't have a choice," Max said matter of factly as she drove.

"Yeah, I know...but I don't think we really talked it all out and she probably needs some help."

"She needs _professional_ help. We can keep talking to her about it, but maybe we can convince her to see someone."

"Yeah...I wanted to tell her my own story, but I waited too long and then Steph was there. I didn't want to bring things up in front of her. About either of us."

"Probably best. When you _do_ talk to her, you're going to leave out the rewinding time part, right?"

Kate smiled and caressed Max's arm, sliding her hand once back and forth across it as she said, "Of course, Em."

"Just checking...but yeah...not sure we have anything to worry about with Vi right now. I believe her when she says she would never do it herself and right now she probably has Steph on the brain more than anything else."

"They seemed really into each other."

"Definitely. I just hope Steph isn't just some temporary distraction for her. Maybe she can make a turn around and start something serious."

"I really hope so."

"She deserves love too," Max said, glancing over a moment to give Kate an adoring look which she returned.

They drove in silence for a little while and then Max asked, "How are you feeling about tomorrow?"

Kate thought about it for a moment, then said, "Nervous...sad...maybe hopeful? Hoping that I'll get something good out of it, one last time."

"I know you really want to do this, but when we're there, if you are suddenly feeling like it's time to go, just let me know. If it seems like it's hurting you to be there, I don't want you to make yourself stay, okay?"

"I don't think it'll be like that, but okay, we'll go if that happens. Like I said, I'm hopeful."

"You _would_ be. One of the reasons I love you."

Kate looked at her happily. They continued driving, again in silence. They chatted more as they travelled until they made it to their school.

When they parked and Max was helping Kate out of the car, she froze for a second, then continue to get out and said, "I still need to change my number and give it to Lynn."

"Oh yeah...we will. Tomorrow, after church, we'll do it and on Monday we'll give it to her."

Kate nodded.

The two girls made their way to the dorms and reached Kate's room without incident. They quickly got through their nighttime routine and were soon in bed together in each other's shirts.

"I missed this," Kate said as she sat in bed.

"You have no idea," Max murmured as she lifted the collar up to smell inside the shirt, not trying at all to hide it.

"How do I smell today?" Kate jokingly asked, noticing Max's movement.

"You smell good, _so_ good, but you always do," Max said unashamedly as she began to lay down.

Kate giggled and helped Max get the covers over themselves, then said, "I don't know about that, but I'm glad you think so."

They naturally intertwined themselves and Max instinctively began stroking Kate's face, knowing her girlfriend was probably worried about tomorrow. The freckled girl was worried herself, but she wouldn't say it at this point.

Max did ask, "So, are you going to start doing more realistic drawings now?"

Kate was enjoying the brunette's touch with her eyes closed, but opened them to answer the question and said, "Hmm...maybe...but I only do what I'm inspired by and right now, especially with this...well, you're my muse, so I only feel inspired to draw you."

Max smiled and said, "I'm happy I inspire you...but I'd like to see what else you can do."

"Maybe someday. For now...it's Em to the max."

"Nice," Max said, acknowledging the pun.

"I still need to finish that anti-bully children's book and get some pictures from you," referring to the project she told Max about when she visited her in the hospital.

"Just tell me what you want and I'll do it."

"Oh, really?" Kate said arching her eyebrow.

Max suddenly realized how her vague statement sounded and said, "Not like _that_, but..." then said much quieter, "Probably that too..." then blushed.

"Heaven help me, I want to kiss you so bad." She took a deep breath and let it out, then said, "I have a feeling the right moment will be coming soon."

The brunette guessed she meant sometime after the church visit, possibly in public when hiding it didn't matter anymore.

Kate added, "We'll know when it's time. This won't be a tease forever." She leaned in and kissed Max on the cheek.

"It's fine heart. You are worth the wait."

"I promise I'll make it up to you and then some..." Her look was suggestive.

Max shivered in delight of future expectations.

Kate's eyes widened and then narrowed as she said with a seductive smile, "Mmm, did I do that?"

Max shyly nodded. She was slightly thrown off by a vague memory of an old show where a nerdy character named Urkel said the same thing. It was much different how Kate said it though.

They squirmed in each other's embrace, their legs shifting around, their lower bodies unintentionally or subconsciously grinding slightly. They both froze and looked at each other, realizing what they were doing.

Kate bit her lip and then said, "Mmm...someday..._soon_, love...we should wait. I know you're not ready yet."

"My body is definitely ready...but yeah...maybe let's do this in the right order."

"Of course, love. Kiss first."

"Okay, no more talking about it. You tease too much," Max said playfully scolding.

Kate leaned in closer and whispered into the freckled girl's ear, "You started grinding first..."

Max blushed, hearing their actions spoken out loud. "S-stop you..." she said weakly, her voice shaking a little.

Pulling back, Kate met her gaze with a look of something between sweetness and sensuality. The blonde said, "Sorry, love. You know I only tease because you make me feel so confident."

"Because I'm so _not_ confident?" Max asked as she looked away scrunching her mouth to the side.

Kate's eyes immediately turned soft and she said quickly, "No, no, love. Because...when I'm with you everything seems perfect and I...well, I feel like I can do anything."

Max looked at her lovingly, but also even more bashful now.

"You are so cute, Em," Kate said and stroked Max's cheek with the back of her hand. After a couple times, the brunette took the hand and kissed it. They then moved their hands to wrap around each other and settle into their sleeping position.

After looking at each other for a little while, eyes started to grow heavy. One time, when Kate almost nodded off, she said, "Umm...how do you like...the name Armistead?"

"Amistad?" Max asked, half awake.

"No, _Armistead_," Kate said with good humored annoyance.

"Oh...yeah...you always like the more...unique names...I..." she yawned big. "...love it."

Kate smiled and said, "Good...Um...Em?"

"Yeah?" Max replied, trying to stay awake.

"Is everything going to be okay?" Kate asked with concern plain on her face, even with her eyes closed.

"Tomorrow?"

"Yeah..." Kate said and bit her lip.

"I'll make sure it is, heart. I'll take care of you, I promise."

"Thank you," the blonde said, now contented.

"Always...well...," she adjusted one last time and said, "I guess I'll meet you at the house."

"Great...I'm cooking your favorite..." Kate said, joining in on their now routine dream talk.

"Mmm, and what's that..." Max asked.

"I have no idea," the blonde said and then lightly giggled, then asked, "So...what am I cooking?"

"Anything you make is my favorite..." the freckled girl said, her voice growing more and more quiet.

Kate's speech was fading as she said, "Thank goodness...okay...don't be late now...the kids...will be ready...to eat..."

"I'm already..." Max gave a large yawn. "...on my way..."

They were soon asleep, together in their shared home again.

Yet again, Max woke up with a fright. She sat up in bed. They had become separated somehow and Kate was still soundly asleep beside her. The brunette calmly composed herself as her breathing soon slowed down. She watched her girlfriend the whole time, watching for if she woke up, but she remained asleep. It was another similar dream to the last two that woke her, but she wouldn't tell Kate about this one. Not now at least. The blonde didn't need anything else to worry about today.

Getting slowly and quietly out of bed, Max retrieved her camera from her bag and brought it back to the bed with determination, still feeling like she was fighting against her nightmares. She sat down the bed, and just waited. The brunette decided to let Kate sleep as much as she could. She would need it. A few minutes later, Kate began to stir. When she was sure that the blonde was waking up, Max took a picture, catching her girlfriend in mid stretch.

The sound of the picture being taken made Kate turn away gradually and she grabbed at her pillow. As the blonde was becoming more fully awake, Max put the picture along with the one from the day before into the album and slipped it back under the bed. She decided it was best that the photos be under Kate's bed, since that was where they usually were when they slept.

Kate groaned and then asked with a frog in her throat, "What time is it?" She sniffled a Little and wiped at her nose and she turned back to look at Max.

"Oh, no, heart...are you sick?"

"What? No, I'm fine," she denied all too quickly.

Max's look made her take a moment to consider the question again. She tested her breathing through her nose and seem to reanalyze her answer. Kate said, "Okay, maybe just a little, but I'm sure it's just a morning thing. It'll go away."

The freckled girl wanted to tell her she shouldn't go, instinctively wanting to take care of her, but she knew that the blonde would never be convinced not to go today. Instead she just said, "Okay."

Kate asked, "What time is it?"

Checking her phone, Max said, "9:14."

Kate suddenly looked wide awake as she said loudly, "What!? We gotta get ready _now_. Come on!"

Max quickly went to her and put her hands on her girlfriend's arms to have her be still and said, "Katie, Katie love, we have the car remember? We have plenty of time still."

Kate's face took a second to process the brunette's words through her own panic, and then she visibly relaxed, leaning into Max. Face buried into a shoulder, Kate said, "Oh thank goodness...sorry...I...forgot."

"It's okay...I mean, maybe I shouldn't have said plenty of time, but we don't need to rush."

"Yeah. Let's get started, I guess."

Max got out of bed and helped Kate down. The brunette took her girlfriend into her arms and said, "It's going to be okay. I'll make sure of it."

Kate, usually the more confident one, appreciated Max's continued certainty of being able to protect her. She relaxed more in the brunette's arms. Max did not see her smile of contentment, but heard the happy sigh that went with it.

They reluctantly parted and started gathering their things to bring to the showers. Max let Kate walk out the door first, opening it for her, but when she passed, gave her girlfriend a nice pinch on her bottom. The blonde jumped with a yelp and turned around as she held her behind, grinning with surprise at Max's boldness.

"Hey, I learned it from you," the freckled girl said smirking.

"Naughty, Em. Picking up my bad habits..." She stepped back in toward the door and came close to Max. Holding her bag in one hand, she wrapped the other around the brunette's waist and then slipped it down to firmly grabbing one of Max's small cheeks through her pajama pants. The brunette froze, not able to move, but wanting more.

Kate leaned in and whispered into Max's ear while still firmly holding her behind, "When we get in there, I'll be thinking of you...will you think of me?"

Max was completely aroused. She was barely able to say, "Y-yeah..." The freckled girl blushed, knowing exactly what her girlfriend meant.

"That's not too out of order?"

"N-no..."

"Good...let's get in there," Kate said with one more squeeze. She gave Max a final seductive look and then walked to the bathrooms. The brunette slowly followed. The freckled girl felt slickness already between her legs.

They reached the bathrooms and luckily found themselves alone. The girls gave each other one final look before they entered adjacent shower stalls, with Kate's gaze being more mischievous and Max mostly shy. As she put her things down a moment, the brunette imagined what it would be like if they shared a shower. This provided her something to start with for her fantasies as she turned on the water. Once it was warm enough, she stepped under it and started soaping herself up with body wash. She graze her fingers across her chest, her nipples hard since the hallway. This wasn't nearly enough stimulation, so her hand went downward and began to work between her legs, finding that special part that she was very familiar with and then placed her other hand on the wall to brace herself. Her breathing began to increase and she found her panting joined by Kate's. This made Max quietly moan and the blonde responded in kind with her own, higher pitched sounds of pleasure. They were controlling themselves well enough to not be heard outside the bathroom, but they made sure their sounds were clear enough to be heard by each other. Each girl was spurred on by the moans of the other and the sounds of rapid finger movements.

As they worked each other up, Max could barely hear Kate quietly say, "Cum for me, Em...cum for me..."

This was enough to send the brunette over the edge and her orgasm took her as she obediently followed her girlfriend's instruction. She did not hide the fact and moaned loudly. From the sounds in the other stall, it sounded like Kate reached the same point too. Both girls did not stop though and after another minute, both came again and then one more time after that.

When it seemed they both were done, Max could hear Kate say, "I love you, Em."

Max smiled and leaned against the adjacent wall, saying, "I love you too, Katie."

"Someday..." Kate said with a sigh.

"Someday," Max quietly confirmed.

Both finished their showers, now actually cleaning their bodies. Kate sang that same song from the first time. Max just listened and felt the love in every word. The showers felt very quiet when she stopped.

When they came out, they shared a few knowing looks, still thinking about what had happend, but said nothing. They got their things together and slowly looked outside. They were relieved to not see a group gathered to see what all the erotic sounds were about and both girls giggled as they turned to look at each other. They started back and on the way, before parting to their separate rooms, Max looked at Kate with concern and said, "Katie...I don't really have...church clothes...what should I wear?"

"Em...just be yourself. That's the only person I want you to be."

Max gave a wide smile and hopped over to kiss Kate on the cheek before running off to her own room. The blonde smiled and watched her until she was out of sight and went to her own door.

After a few minutes, Max had returned to Kate's room wearing her usual t-shirt and jeans and saw her girlfriend putting her hair up. Apparently she had no time to tease her right now with a partial undressed appearance like before. The brunette could see the nervousness on Kate's face as she focused seriously on her own hair.

"Your hair is so beautiful, down _or_ up."

"Thanks, Em."

Kate was dressed in her typical long skirt with leggings, blouse with a sweater and low heals. She was in muted colors, mostly gray and while that was not unusual, she guessed that Kate did want to stand out today.

When she seemed done, Max asked, "Ready?"

"Yeah," Kate said, though her nerves shown through her forced cheerfulness. "Let's go."

Max went up to Kate and took her into an embrace and said while looking into ber girlfriend's eyes, "It will be okay. I won't let anything happen to you." She was not sure how she could fulfill that promise, but she would do everything in her power to make it happen.

Kate let out a long breath and said in a hushed tone, "Thanks, Em."

"You okay?" Max checked one last time.

"Yeah," Kate said and seemed to mean it.

The brunette parted from her and gave a closed mouth smile as she squeezed the other's hand. They then grabbed their bags and left the room.

After leaving the dorms and reaching Betty, Max looked Kate over again and decided she seemed composed well enough now. She would be okay, the freckled girl decided.

The drive to the church was mostly quiet besides music. Max had put directions in with Siri, getting the name of the church from Kate. Before they knew it, they were in the parking lot. Max parked in a spot a little away from the main church building and then looked to Kate to follow her lead. The blonde just sat there a moment and then, while looking out her window at the church, said, "Can we...uh...wait a minute?"

"Of course...just let me know when you're ready," Max said and caressed the blonde's hand and up and down her arm, trying to comfort and calm her.

They saw some others park and people quickly made their way to the church. Soon it seemed no other cars were coming and the service was about to begin. This is when Kate finally said, "Okay, let's go in."

Max nodded and let Kate get out of the car herself this time. They walked together through the parking lot until reaching the doors to the church. Kate again showed hesitation and took a deep breath before nodding to max without looking at her. They walked in and Max could see while the room was definitely not full, there were still quite a lot of people inside.

Kate seem to know where she wanted to sit and so Max followed. Her family was somewhere in there. She wondered if they were going towards them or away.

They moved to the right side of the room to go on that section of pews. Before they started down the row though, Max noticed that some heads were turned towards them. It was much more than what she would consider normal. Some looked away after a glance but others remain locked on them. As they started to walk down she could see some faces had a look of disgust, while others had pure hatred. She was about to say something to Kate, when the people around them began to grow quieter, except for a few voices who could be heard loudly whispering derogative insults at them.

"Sluts..."

"Whores..."

"Who do they think they are coming in here?"

"Dykes..."

"Pastor Marsh doesn't deserve this...she should just go..."

"The nerve..."

"They just want the attention..."

"Fucking sluts..."

"Someone should get them out of here..."

The voices talked over each other and just begin to build more and more until Max and Kate had stopped halfway down the pews. The blonde looked devastated and tears were already falling. Max's eyes begin to water too, but not for herself, only for Kate. She looked to her once, hating the hurt that she saw and then looked out into the congregation with fury. She didn't know what she was going to do but she knew that she did not want Kate to be present for it. Before she could try to get Kate out though, both girls noticed that the pastor, the blonde's father was trying to direct an usher to escort them out. It was then that Kate truly broke down and began sobbing.

Max couldn't control her self anymore. She shouted out, "Fuck all of you!"

The outburst stunned the congregation long enough for Max to continue unabated. "She's more of a Christian then all of you put together. Not one of you shits could defend her? Especially you, _Pastor_ Marsh!?" She said his title in a mocking tone. He again signaled for them to be removed, but more frantically.

"No," Max said in a sinister tone, not expected to come from her small frame. She put up her hand and waited for the two men that were coming for them to get close, and then she focused herself to bring out her power. Time froze for a moment and then began to rewind. As the men took steps back, she stepped forward until they had returned to where they started and she was in front of Pastor Marsh, next to the pulpit. She stopped rewinding right when she knew she had just said _no_. To him and the crowd, she had suddenly teleported from across the room and so most gasped, while others screamed or shouted. Several then fell to their knees and began praying, while some began to panic and even run away.

Mr. Marsh himself had stumbled backward and fallen down on his bottom, with his hands coming down hard to keep himself from falling flat. He bore the full shock of Max's sudden appearance in front of himself. The tremeing man began crawling backward with a hand out to ward her off. Full of fright, he stuttered, "S-stay b-back!"

Max looked down with hatred and disgust. She looked around and spat out, "I wish I could fucking leave you pieces of shit with this memory. I wish you would live in fear forever. The only reason I'm not going to haunt your worthless lives is because she doesn't deserve that memory." Everyone was still shocked and had no idea what she was talking about to even begin formulating a response.

Looking down at Mr. Marsh now with sadness, Max said, "You had the chance to do the right thing. You could've been a good dad." Her fury build up again and with a stare of hatred, she took a couple steps to kick Mr. Marsh's face, angrily saying, "But you just fucking _hurt_ her!" as she made solid contact with her foot.

"I fucking wish you could still feel that too," she said before turning away from him.

When men began to run up after her violent action, Max lifted a weary hand and began rewinding time just as they reached her. She kept rewinding as she walked with a heavy heart back to the entrance. When Kate had returned to the place she had paused before entering, Max stopped rewinding. She was absently aware of the blood coming out of her nose.

Kate looked at her, confused a second for her not being in the exact place she thought the brunette was in a moment before.

"Oh, uh..." Kate began. She then noticed the blood coming down from the freckled girl's nose.

Max looked sorrowfully at her and said, "We can't go in there. I'm sorry...I promised I'd protect you."

Kate could figure out that Max rewinded time, but she was not mentally ready to suddenly have to leave. Her lips quivered and she became emotional, not knowing what to say or do.

Max held her close and put a hand to the back of Kate's head as she said, "I love you Katie, now and forever," and then made the blonde's lips still with a passionate kiss that Kate fell into, not wanting to think of feel anything else, but Max's love. Her hands had wrapped around the brunette subconsciously as the kiss became another and another until finally they stopped. Leaning their heads together and eyes closed, Max quietly said, "Let me take you out of here."

Kate leaned back and nodded, causing a tear to fall. They walked away hand in hand, swiftly departing from the church, not knowing where they would go, except away from this now dark place.


	37. Chapter 37

As they walked to the car, Max began to feel light headed, but fought to stay balanced, subtly using Kate as an anchor, though not pulling her with any pressure. The brunette was just realizing how weak she had become. The adrenaline from the events inside the church and the kissing afterwards carried her through until now. She told herself that she would be strong for Kate though.

Max glanced at her when they reached Betty and saw a touch of blood, smeared on and above her upper lip. The brunette quickly, but gently wiped it away with her hand, then did the same under her own nose, knowing something would be there too. Kate just stood there in a fugue state. It hurt Max to see the bright light in her diminished. She needed to embrace her again before they got in, so put her arms around the blonde, holding her firmly.

Kate slowly put her own arms around Max, slipping them around to come together at the small of the brunette's back. When the freckled girl was about to say something, Kate spoke first, saying, "I didn't even get to see them..." She silently cried with tears running down her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry...but they all knew...I couldn't let you go in there."

Kate just sniffled in response, seeming to be holding herself back from crying.

As Max swiveled their closely joined bodies in a slight rocking motion, she assumed Kate meant she did not get to see her sisters. Even before she rewound, the blonde had yet to spot them, at least so Max surmised. It didn't matter now that it never happened, at least not for _them_, the freckled girl thought. It was weird, thinking about alternate timelines and what was real. It was still hard for the brunette to wrap her mind around it all.

Max stopped the motion and leaned back to see how Kate seemed. The blonde hung her head down, and was holding her bottom lip under her teeth while her eyes stayed shut. The brunette was about to speak when Kate moved her head up and kissed her suddenly. There was a fierceness in the way she came at the freckled girl, that felt to her like a desperation to escape. Max felt a bittersweet pleasure in giving her that comfort. Their lips pressed together, and hands held each other's bodies firmer. Max's mouth slightly parted and the blonde eagerly slipped her tongue in, instantly meeting the other's. The kissing quickly became more instense and then Kate couldn't hold it in anymore and pulled away shuttering, but there was pain behind it more than pleasure and this killed Max. She had been longing to freely kiss her, but not like this. When it happened right outside the church, their love seemed liked it could conquer any hurt, or at least get her through it. Now though...Max wasn't sure.

She pulled Kate in again for a tight embrace.

"Let's go home now, please," Kate quietly said, sounding like she could cry at any moment.

"Sure, Katie. Let's go," Max said and kissed the side of her head. She opened the door for her and watched as she stared off blankly when she sat down. The brunette almost couldn't close the door, seeing her like this, but knew she had to get them out of this place.

Once she did, Max quickly went around and got into the driver's seat. She looked over saw the blonde just sitting there spaced out in a fog while looking down. When it didn't seem like she would snap out of it, Max reached over to buckle her seatbelt for Kate. Before she returned to her seat, the brunette kissed her girlfriend on the cheek. As she pulled away though, Kate placed her hand behind Max's head and pulled her back to kiss her lips. This time it was much more sweet and tender. After their lips parted, the blonde kept her near with their noses pressing slightly together, both keeping their eyes closed. They could feel each other's slow breaths and Max had taken the blonde's hand in her own and was caressing the top of it with her thumb. She opened her eyes to look down at what she was doing. They stayed like this for a few seconds until Kate said, still with noticeable melancholy, "I love you so much, Em."

"I'm yours forever," Max said, feeling she wanted to declare more than just a return gesture of love right now. The freckled girl wanted to let her know that she would get her through this, no matter how long it took.

Kate sniffled, and the brunette wasn't sure if it came from her developing sickness or her emotions. "Do you want me to start driving?" Max delicately asked.

Kate nodded. The brunette started the car and held the other's hand. As she drove, Max glanced periodically and saw the blonde staring off, somewhere else in her mind. Thoughts of the church came back to the freckled girl and after a mixture of sadness and anger, she began to wonder how, just how did so many know? She _was_ the pastor's daughter, but still who first told? Kate was so sure her parents wouldn't tell anyone and her father's reaction seems to support that theory. No one else in Arcadia Bay besides Vi and the band knew, and she doubted their social circles overlapped, or that she would tell others. There was also Joyce, but Max didn't think she wouldn't be careless and tell anyone either. The only other person here that even knew Max was gay was...Victoria.

_Victoria..._

The brunette never told her who she was interested in, but would it really be that hard to figure out if she was spotted even once with the blonde? Max wondered, but became more and more certain as they came closer to Blackwell. She would have to confront Victoria and find out. The brunette didn't want Kate to have to deal with the stress of it though. She'd have to figure out how to get away from her girlfriend, but it was the worst time for it. Only if the opportunity arose Max decided and, if so, she would tell Kate afterwards.

When they had parked and Max had helped the blonde get out, she saw that her girlfriend's emotional state had not changed. She took Kate's hand as they walked, but she barely seemed aware of it. As they reached the dorms, the freckled girl cautiously led them to Kate's room, looking out for Victoria along the way. Luckily she was not spotted but their hand holding did catch the attention of a couple other students, but it didn't matter anymore.

As they entered the room, Max received a text. She waited until she led Kate to the bed where she'd sat and then lay down. The brunette dropped their bags next to the bed and then got out her phone. It was Vi, asking, or more like _telling_ in her sassy way for Max and Kate to pick her up from the hospital.

With her head flat on the bed, the blonde was staring at her for a second while the brunette read the text and then asked, "Who is it?"

"Oh," Max said, not knowing she was being watched and then responded, saying, "It's Vi. She needs to be picked up from the hospital, but I can tell her we can't make it right now."

"No, no. You go get her. I think I'm going to take a nap. I'm feeling...pretty drained."

"Are you sure?" Max liked the idea of Kate getting rest, but not leaving her by herself, but then remembered her mission to confront Victoria. Also, if Kate was sleeping that would be better than being alone and awake at least, she figured.

"Yeah, go get her. I'll text you when I wake up...if I can sleep."

"Well...okay...but only if you're sure..."

"I am," Kate said with little emotion. It was hard to read her now. Max wondered how much of her toneless voice was exhaustion and how much was melancholy.

"Let me help you get comfy at least."

"'Kay," the blonde said and got up to let Max get her under the covers and tucked in.

The freckled girl leaned over after and kissed Kate on the cheek first, but then on the lips. The blonde gave a contented sigh after and said, "You probably shouldn't kiss me. I'm going to get you sick."

"That's okay," Max said with a small smile.

"I might be getting a headache too. You don't want that."

"I want _you_ more than anything, Katie. Headaches and runny noses aren't going to stop me."

"You're too romantic for your own good."

Max just smiled and kissed her again, a little longer than before, and lightly touched the blonde's cheek as she did it.

"Sleep well, heart."

"I'll try."

Max gave her girlfriend a final peck on her lips and then stood back up straight.

"Be back soon...I love you..."

"Love you, Em. Please drive safe..."

"Always," Max said as she reached the door with her bag in hand.

When she opened it, the brunette looked back once and saw Kate staring out, seeming more forlorn than she appeared moments ago when she was so responsive. Max hoped it wasn't an act to convince her to go. With a worried frown, she exited the room and closed the door.

_First_ _thing's_ _first..._

Max headed to Victoria's room and when the brunette reached the door, she paused. She collected herself, not wanting to just come in screaming. After a deep breath, she opened the door. The room was empty.

She went to The Hot Spot, but the cafe was empty. Max had run out of places to look. She'd have to try her luck asking Victoria to come to her. She got out her phone. Thinking hard on where to meet, she picked a place that was secluded enough, but still public.

**Max: **We need to talk. can u meet behind outside stage at skl?

She stared at her phone, hoping for a quick response. After a minute she lost hope, but then she saw the symbol showing that Victoria was typing. It went away though, as if the girl erased what she was going to type. There was nothing, but then a short reply came through.

**Victoria: **When?

The brunette quickly replied.

**Max: **Now?

After a few seconds, her response came.

**Victoria: **Ok. cyu in 15

Max exhaled a long breath, at least relieved she would be able to get this over with, but still worried about what would happen. She had no idea. Max shifted her mood though to one of determination, knowing what she would have to do soon and made her way to the back of the stage outside. While she walked, the brunette texted Vi to let her know her estimated time of arrival. She hoped it wouldn't take too long with Victoria, and so texted that she would be there within an hour.

When she got to the back of the stage, Max knew she had a few minutes at least of waiting, so she paced around the grass nervously. She saw a squirrel climbing a tree and wondered if it was watching her. Samuel's words still haunted her thoughts. That led her to think about the vision at the tobanga and then memories of Chloe. Her thoughts continued to bounce around in her head, only making her more anxious, until she eventually spotted Victoria come from around the corner of the stage.

She was wearing pants with a sweater, not unlike her usual style. Max thought the blonde had a blank expression, but when they made eye contact, she swore she saw nervousness.

_Good..._

Max waited until she was close and had stopped before speaking. The brunette said evenly, "I know it was you that told everyone." She didn't know, but wanted to see her reaction.

Victoria's eyes almost imperceptibly widened and she said nothing at first, but then spoke, saying, "She doesn't deserve you, Max. She can't handle being with you publicly. I knew she would crumble. I mean, come on, she's the epitome of a Christian, how could she-"

All the while she spoke, the brunette's anger was growing until finally Max cut her off, shouting, "Stop!" Victoria froze with fear at the sudden outburst. "Just fucking stop! What the fuck is wrong with you? Haven't you hurt her enough!? You think this would make me like you? Who does that? I can't believe you! You almost destroyed her, _again_!" Her anger slipped into sadness as she thought about Kate's devastation from everything she had been going through. "I _hate _seeing her hurt like this."

"But Max," Victoria began, trying to sound sympathetic, "If she can't handle people knowing, then she doesn't really want-"

"She _loves_ me!" Max shouted, her fury partially returning, but then she mentally fell apart and crumpled to the ground. With her hands covering her face, Max's voice broke down as she almost cried while saying, "And I love _her_..."

Victoria looked shocked. "You..._love_ her?" Her hand went to her mouth and her eyes darted around as her distressed look grew. "I'm...s-sorry...I'm so sorry...I won't..."

The blonde did not finish her sentence though. She started backing up and then turned around to then swiftly walk away.

Max took a moment to calm down. She stared at the grass, trying not to think about anything and just analyzed each green blade one by one until she realized that she should get going to pick up Vi. Max picked herself up, took a deep breath, and wiped her nose before moving.

As the brunette strode to Betty, she thought about how she wished she had threatened Victoria, warned her to leave them alone, but it seemed maybe she didn't have to say anything else. She hoped this would be the end of her dealings with the girl. Max wasn't sure what she herself might do to Victoria if anything else happened, but she knew it would be worse than what Kate's father recieved.

Once in the car, she started it up and drove straight to the hospital. A few minutes later Max had parked and texted Vi to let her know she had arrived. Vi replied right away, letting her know that she was in the front, sitting on a bench.

Max got out and could already see her across the parking lot. Vi sat with crutches leaned up against the bench. A neck brace was beside her. An uncomfortable looking woman was sitting there too, as far as she could be on the other side of the bench.

Vi waited for Max to get close and then got up, saying, "Maxie, you made it! Let's get out of here. It smells like shit." She turned around and glared at the woman who looked fearfully down. The brunette smirked, hoping that this stranger deserved her friend's scorn.

"How you feeling, Vi?"

"Sore as shit. Wait, where's our angel?"

"She um...I should tell you in the car, actually. She's okay, but not feeling great."

"Sick?"

"On top of other things," Max said frowning.

"Oh damn. That doesn't sound good."

"Yeah..." They were quiet the rest of the way until reaching the car.

"Betty's still looking fine as ever," Vi said tapping her car with the rubber end of one of her crutches.

Max gave a small smile and then opened the door for Vi, helping her in, after scooting the seat back to allow her to have her casted leg fit. The brunette put the crutches in the back seat and then went back around to enter in the driver's side.

"My baby's taking such good care of her mama."

The brunette didn't seem to hear Vi and had put her head down on the steering wheel. The older girl suddenly became serious and said softly, "Maxie...are you okay?" She put a hand on her back and bent lower to try and meet her gaze.

"I...I'm just so worried about Katie."

"I'm sure she'll be fine. She has you, right?"

"I wish I could explain what happened..."

"Girl, it couldn't hurt to try."

"That's the thing...I'd have to check with Katie before I told you..."

"_That_ private, huh? Well...that's okay. Just let me know if you ever _do_ want to talk about...whatever it is..."

"Sorry, Vi...I want to, but it's not _just_ my decision..." Max said turning to her.

"Don't sweat it, Maxie," Vi said with a smile. "I understand." Vi rubbed her back a couple times.

Max nodded as she lifted her head up again. She sighed and put the keys in, then starting up the car.

As they drove out of the parking lot, Max asked, "So, how's Steph?"

Vi grinned wide and bit her lip, raising her eyebrows, letting the brunette know exactly how well things were with them without a word. She did speak though after a moment and said, "Let's just say that girl is one hell of a kisser."

"Vi!" Max said smiling as if she was scandalized. She was also glad for the happy distraction from her thoughts.

"I'm not robbing the cradle, am I?"

"She's a year older than us, so you're what, four years apart?"

"Yeah...I just never dated anyone younger before."

"So you're dating?" Max's grin grew.

"Hey, hey, let's not analyze anything here, Maxie. I think she's a pretty awesome gal and I like spending time with her, let's just leave it at that."

"So you saw her again?"

"She visited me in the morning and brought me a muffin...you have no idea about the word play we had, Maxie. The word fucking play."

"She's not just going to be a fling is she?"

Vi seemed to hesitate at Max's serious question. She appeared to be considering her answer and then said quietly, "They always are, Maxie..." She looked away though and added, "Not sure about this one though...we'll see."

Max decided not to push her more about it, but just smiled happily for her friend. Vi looked back and saw it, then gave an acknowledging return smile that was the most shy or reeeved Max had ever seen her. The brunette turned back to the road and kept driving, still grinning.

When they reached Blackwell, Max helped out Vi and kept at her slower pace as they set out to the dorms. She was on the lookout for Victoria once again, but luckily did not see her anywhere on the way. At Kate's door, Max turned back to Vi and quietly said, "She might be sleeping so..." and put her index finger to her lips. Vi made the zipping motion to seal her mouth shut.

Max opened the door and did not see Kate in the bed or anywhere in the room. She started to panic as she looked all around for signs of where she had gone. The brunette paused her franticness when she saw a note on the end of the bed and picked it up.

_M, my_ _love,_

_I_ _couldn't sleep, so I left to go think. I'll be back later, I promise. _

-_Your_ _Heart_

Vi was watching her with concern and said, "Well? What happened? Where is she?"

"She had to go out to think..."

"Well, she should be okay then, right? You could call or text her."

Max immediately followed the suggestion and got out her phone, calling Kate a second later. The phone rang until the voicemail message came on. Max hung up and frowned.

"Shit, shit, she didn't answer," Max said with growing anxiety and then sent a text.

**Max: U ok!?**

She looked desperately at her phone and at first thought a reply wouldn't come, but then a text came.

**Kate: **Yes. bbl. Please don't worry. I love you.

Max felt much more calmer, but was still worried. She texted back.

**Max: **Ok, I love you. Pls come soon.

There was no reply. Vi looked at her with a question in her expression and so Max said, "She...said not to worry, that'll she'll be back later..."

"It's going to be okay then, Maxie."

"How do you know?" The brunette's concern had not left her face.

"Well, I know _you_ and how much you worry, so I'm telling you it's not needed this time...and also, I know _I_ need alone time to sort out my shit sometimes. Just give her space and it'll be fine."

"I didn't think she needed space..."

"Maxie, you guys have been together like 24-7 for a while now, right?"

"Well...mostly..."

"Trust me, just let her be dude. She'll be back. I know you two, she's not going anywhere."

"Yeah I know, I know she wouldn't, I..."

"What are you worried about then?"

"I...don't even know...I just know she's hurting and I hate not being able to be there for her..."

"When she's ready for you, she'll be back. I know it. Just wait with me here and she'll be back before you know it."

"Yeah...okay..."

Vi tried her best to distract Max with conversation and pass the time, but the brunette was clearly checking her phone constantly, whether to see if she missed a call or text, or maybe just to check the time.

Time passed, much more then either expected and they even had to grab food. Vi, being in her condition said she would stay and call her immediately if she came and had to guilt Max into not letting her starve to death before the brunette would leave. She quickly returned, but her girlfriend was still not back. It was starting to get dark and Max was growing more panicked that Kate would never return.

Her phone buzzed and Max got it out so fast she almost dropped it.

**Kate: **Come to your room

Max shot up from the bed where she sat and ran to the door. She stopped for a moment to look at Vi who had a surprised and concerned face, and, realizing this, said, "She's in my room!" Max ran out the door, not waiting for the other girl.

She sprinted down the hall and approached her room more slowly, trying to calm down before entering. Max couldn't wait though and opened the door.

Kate stood in the middle of the room, looking more different than Max had ever seen her. She was dressed in a Rainbow Bright outfit. Kate was wearing white shoes with knee high rainbow socks that led up to a blue dress with white trim that was shorter than Max would ever expect the conservative girl to wear. It fit tightly around her slender body with a large rainbow belt that also matched her rainbow sleeves. Her hands were partly covered by long fingerless blue gloves. Above, she had a yellow choker with red stars around it, her gold cross hanging just below the fabric. Her hair was done up and was topped off with a large purple bow that had a red star in the center.

Max was speechless.

Kate held Max's lumberjack outfit of her flannel and axe with a beanie and walked over to the brunette who watched her every move. Max took the items when they were handed to her, scanning her girlfriend up down, though not moving at all and then Kate said, "Ready to go to the harvest festival?"

Max could only reply, "Wha...um..."

"I take it that means you like?" Kate's smile was mischievous.

Max sucked in her lips and nodded shyly.

Vi appeared in the room and also was shocked for a moment, but then grinned wildly with surprised delight as she said, slapping a hand to her chest, "Oh my god...she's become gay incarnate!"

Max was barely aware of Vi's words and was still focused on Kate as she asked, "But...what happened?"

Kate paused in thought, as if trying to remember something, then said, "Psalm 27:1-3The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident."

Vi was still locked onto the new Kate in front of her when she leaned over to Max to say, "She is the most complicated and interesting gay baby I have ever met. _Marry_ this girl."

Max, also unable to look away, replied quietly, "I plan to..." The brunette took her girlfriend's face into her hands as she kissed her and Kate put her own hands around Max's waist. There was pure joy and desire now, with nothing tainting their passionate kissing this time. The freckled girl felt complete relief and happiness, believing now that everything would be okay.

Vi, classy as ever, got her phone out and took a picture. The flash went off and that finally stopped them. They still held each other, with Max's hands now clasped together at the back of Kate's neck as they looked at Vi, both a little embarassed about how lost they just had just been in each other as they made out. Vi looked a little guilty for taking a picture and slipped her phone back into her pocket as if she was doing it secretly, but knowing they were watching her do it.

Max turned to whisper to her girlfriend saying, "Sorry...I couldn't help it...you look so fucking hot, I think I came just looking at you..."

Kate just giggled.

Vi spoke up, saying, "I guess no Daenerys, but queen of the realm don't have _nothing_ on this queen, _fuck_." She hobbled a little closer and then asked, "Hey, so did I hear something about a festival? Is that church talk for party? Girl, you bold _as_ _fuck_ going there like that. I love it! So...is Mama Vi invited?"

"It wouldn't be a party without you," Kate said smiling.


	38. Chapter 38

Vi coughed and said, "Hey guys, you mind if I invite Steph? I mean, I'm going to do it either way, but I thought I'd ask to be polite. Not sure if she's available though, but we might as well try to get all the backup we can get."

"That's the reason?" Kate asked smiling.

"I can think of another reason..." Max teased.

"For fuck's sake, never mind..." Vi grumbled.

"Sorry, sorry, yes of course you can invite her," Kate placatingly said.

Vi gave them both an exaggerated look of grumpiness and took out her phone, maintaining her expression a little longer as she texted.

"There," the older girl said. "We'll see. So...I guess we better stop by to get my costume," she said, putting her hand on Max's shoulder. Just then, Vi's phone buzzed.

She checked it, again glancing at them with a playful sour expression in between reading. "Okay, she'll meet us there."

Kate's smile beamed bright and then she ran over to hug Vi.

"Hey, hey, fucking hell, it's nothing to get crazy about...damn affectionate angel," Vi said, relenting to the embrace which the blonde then released.

"Don't either of you dare act weird like this when we see her," Vi said pointing at both of them back and forth.

Max shrugged innocently and Kate smiled and nodded.

"Okay then...so...I guess let's go," Vi said as her playful threatening posture slowly faded.

Max said, "Sure thing. Um, let me get changed first." The brunette looked at her costume considering. "Hmm, I guess I can just put the flannel over my shirt and I'll be good to go." Max started slipping into the red and black long sleeve shirt and then Kate came over to button her up. The freckled girl smiled as her girlfriend took care of her. Lastly, the blonde pulled the beanie over her head. As she placed it, Kate moved her hands down to guide Max's head in for a kiss.

"My babies can't keep their hands off each other. Wait, that sounds wrong. Meh, what the hell," Vi said with a shrug. "I'm going to keep going with it."

"We _are_ like sisters," Kate joked, looking at Max with a wink.

Max rolled her eyes and said, "Ug, Katie, I'm trying to forget about that."

Kate just kept smiling.

"Ha ha, inside joke, whatever," Vi sarcastically said then continued, saying, "Anyways ...save some of that smooching for the festival. I want to see those self righteous heads explode from all the hot macking you two will be doing."

"Vi...That's not why I'm going," Kate protested.

The older girl cocked an eyebrow and said, "Well if you won't do it, I know Steph will, but come on...you're not going to be kissing cute flannel-max over here not even once until you get home?"

"Well..."

"Exactly. And I don't think lil' Maxie over here will be able to keep her hands off you, with you looking all...well...all so..._you_ know. By the time you get home tonight, she'll be wanting to taste that rainbow."

Max and Kate's eyes widened, both then looking away bashfully. Kate turned back to Vi and said, "Okay, so maybe we won't be hiding our...affection, but I'm not going to be all over her just to throw it in their faces...I mean, not anymore..." Kate grew quieter at her admission.

Now it was Vi's turn for her eyes to grow big which matched the large grin on her face. She said, "Sweet miss K, not so angelic all the time _are_ you?"

Kate seemed a little embarrassed and said, "It wasn't _that_ crazy, I mean...not as much as it sounds..."

"Maxie?" Vi asked for confirmation or denial.

"It's not like we made out, but she was pretty much all over me," Max said, enjoying teasing Kate.

"Em!" Kate huffed, but smiled. "Tell her what really happened!"

"How you kissed, sucked and bit my-"

"You did _what_ to her _what_ now!?" Vi jumped in, her expression becoming even more exaggerated.

"Neck! Just neck! Geez you guys," Kate clarified.

"Oh, well that's not too crazy," Vi said shrugging.

"_Thank_ you!" Kate said and crossed her arms.

"That _is_ how it starts though..." Vi added.

Kate rolled her eyes and said, "Let's get going," and grabbed Max's hand.

"Hold on speedy," the brunette said and grabbed the blonde's bag.

"Oh, thanks, love," Kate said smiling.

"Hey," Max whispered. "How're you feeling?"

"A little sniffly, a little headache that comes and goes, but I'm fine."

Max gave her a scolding and concerned look.

"I promise it's not that bad."

"What's the hold up!?" Vi said, coming closer.

"Nothing...let's go," Max said reluctantly. Kate gave her hand a squeeze and held on. Max relented, no longer giving Kate a hard time, but making a mental note to keep checking on her. She did seem okay, for all outwardly appearances.

They all left the room and walked to the car. As they went along the path, the couple continued to hold hands and the feeling was exhilarating for the freckled girl, to be doing it outside in daylight in front of anyone to see. Being on campus made it even more thrilling. She kept watching their hands clasped together, then turned to the blonde's face, admiring how beautiful she looked. Kate glanced over too sometimes and smiled as she caressed Max's hand with her thumb.

Behind them, Vi noticed and said softly, "She can't stop looking at you, angel."

Max turned back to the older girl when she spoke, then bashfully forward, embarrassed at being caught.

Vi added, "You two..." and sighed with a warm grin.

Kate smiled at Max, a little shy too, but said nothing and also looked forward.

When they got to the car, Max suddenly realized something and said, "Shit, I remembered your bag, but forgot mine. Be right back."

Kate did not let go of her hand though and said, "You know I'm coming with you."

Vi said, "Fuck if I'm going back. You two hurry up. Here, open her up first."

Max took out the keys and opened the door. Both girls helped Vi slide into the rear passenger seats. Max said, "Be right back," and the door was closed.

The brunette and her girlfriend looked at each other and started walking back together at a normal pace at first, but then it gradually became faster. Both girls were glancing at each other as each stepped up the pace until they were running by the end, giggling a little at their silliness. Their giddiness made them turn their errand into a race that neither would win because they wouldn't let go of each other's hand. They weren't worried about the future in this moment, but just enjoyed being together, freely and open.

When they reached Max's room, they giggled with each other one more time as they caught their breaths. After a moment, they went in. Once inside, the brunette closed the door, only to be immediately set on by Kate. As soon as she turned around, the blonde slipped her hands up to hold the freckled girl's face before pressing their lips together. This pushed her gently against the door, but Max quickly overcame her surprise and moved her own hands to hold Kate's hips as she returned the kiss. They quickly were tilting their heads to begin french kissing, both girls taking turns exploring the inside of each other's mouths with their tongues. Somehow, Max found her hands squeezing Kate's firm behind. After a moment, Max pulled back to say, "Woah, Katie, I uh...love kissing you, but not so deep."

"Sorry, I got carried away. I just want you so bad, Em, I forget to think." She seemed a little embarrassed.

"It's okay, heart, I love your eagerness."

"I'll make sure you appreciate it later..."

It was Max's turn to blush, thinking Kate was being specific about her eagerness with her tongue, even though she didn't say it.

Kate returned to their original conversation. "I can do better, come here." With that, she returned to kissing her, much more slowly and sensually, not moving her tongue in too deep as they made out, still standing by the door. They soon had to stop to breathe, with Kate lightly pulling at Max's bottom lip with her teeth before letting it go.

The blonde said, "Did you forget your bag on purpose?"

Max shook her head and said, "I'm not that devious. I really just forgot, but I'm glad I did."

"Me too...but I guess we better hurry back before Vi thinks we were doing something more."

"Yeah, I guess so," Max said and reluctantly parted from Kate to locate her bag. As she looked, the blonde said, "Soon enough, it'll be true though."

The two shared suggestive smiles and Max asked, "Soon?"

"Soon enough, whatever that means. When we're ready, when it's right."

Max smiled at Kate's understanding response, but knew she would do anything Kate wanted to do, whether she mentally felt ready or not. Her body would override any hesitation. Still, she loved Kate even more for her continued respect and consideration of her readiness.

They left the room, again holding hands. When they reached the car, Vi was in the back, but the door was open. She called out, "It got stuffy. What took you two so long...or do I already know..."

Neither girl replied, but their glances at each other confirmed it for Vi.

"Young love...well you don't smell like sex, so I guess you weren't too crazy. You'll get there." She winked and then said, "Can one of you close the door for me?"

"Gladly," Max said playfully and shut it, smiling. She opened the door for Kate before getting in herself and off they went.

As they drove, Kate looked hesitantly to the back and said, "Uh, Vi...I'm going to need you to promise not hurt anyone while we're there."

"What? I would nev..." Kate gave her a look and she changed her sentence to, "Okay, okay...fine. But what if I have to defend you guys?"

"You shouldn't be fighting for any reason in your condition, or at all. We don't answer words with hitting."

"Maybe _you_ don't..." Kate gave another look and she said, "Okay, okay...got it. But if someone tries to even touch my babies..."

"Then feel free to _defend_ us," Kate said.

"Sure thing..." Vi said with a nod.

"_Defend_," Kate emphasized again.

"Sure...and you know what they say...the best defense is a good offense,"

Kate turned around and narrowed her eyes.

"Just kidding! Fuck, angel, you're so serious right now."

"I just don't want them to have a reason to hate us and act like they already might."

Max thought in her head that there was no _might_ about it, but she would never give Kate the details.

"Ah...you want to show that we're better than them. Got it," Vi said nodding.

"Not exactly, but...sure. If that helps you not punch someone, then yes," Kate said, rolling her eyes.

Max thought to herself that this event would go better than the church service. Everyone was participating in one thing during that time, but here it was more open and not everyone would be watching them come in. There could still be some individuals who might say or do something. She was glad now for rewinding to give them a chance to hopefully enjoy this night. No one but herself really experienced what happened in the church. Otherwise, whatever equated to Christian bouncers would have went straight for the couple, escorting them out for sure for Max kicking Mr. Marsh in the face, if not for just the scene that was caused before that final violent climax to their visit.

The girls soon changed conversation and a few minutes later were at Vi's place. After helping get Vi out, the girls walked over to get inside the small building. The older girl went to the bathroom first, not bothering to close the door. Max and Kate could not see Vi from their positions, but they could clearly hear her make some frustrated noises and then soon the sounds of her relieving herself before the the flush. There were again grumbling noises from Vi and a groan, before they saw her come out and go straight to her closet, hobbling on one crutch. As she faced her clothes, the older girl took off her shirt and both girls saw the tattoo that covered a large portion of her back.

It was black and gray leaves falling down into a pile and looking closer, the brunette could see very small insects like pill bugs and beetles in the bottom collection of leaves. The older girl was still looking for a shirt, but felt the stares and so turned just her head around for a moment, catching them both and said, "Oh, you finally get to see the big one." She seemed a little less her usual energetic self as she said, "That one was a bitch, especially down the spine."

Kate said, "It's very beautiful...the leaves look almost real...well, besides not being in color."

"Does it mean anything?" Max asked.

"Yeah..." Vi sighed and turned completely around saying, "It means life is _damn_ short and could end in one _shitty_ instant like it does for these poor fuckers. They're fragile as shit and die all the time from people stepping on them and life can do that to us _any_ _fucking_ time it wants. I...wanted to remember that...but at the same time I didn't...so that's why I put the fucking thing on my back. I forget sometimes, but it always seems to remind me at the right times. Well...usually."

The girls were taking in the weight of her words, but it was hard not to stare at Vi's ample chest, especially comparative to her overall average size as she spoke. It had been at least easier when she was speaking to ignore, but when Vi stopped, the two looked down or away. They were both separately wondering if her black bra, with its revealing cleavage was even the right size for her.

"I guess it really _does_ mean something. It's the best reason I've ever heard for getting one. So it makes you appreciate life more?" Kate said, still looking down.

Vi first started responded to the blonde quietly and seriously, saying, "Yeah...I guess so. Sometimes," and then started to pick up her mood a little as she said, "But yeah, thanks, angel. There's more to it with the leaves, but you get the idea." The older girl then noticed their behavior and said, "Oh, I see what's up. These ladies get appreciated all the time, but don't worry. I don't mind it." She instantly moved past the awkwardness and said, "Hey, can one of you get the costume and gas mask? They're way up high in the middle of the closet. Would have put them lower if I knew this would fucking happen."

After speaking she reached over and finally found a yellow shirt, putting it right on. As she did, she said, "This damn costume is a little see-through. I found out later of course. Fucking overpriced piece of shit. The pants will have to work. I have no yellow ones."

"That sucks," Max said as she went over to try and help to grab the items. It was just out of her reach and Kate was about to come over to help her when she jumped and grabbed it.

"Ha, _got_ it," the brunette declared.

"Minimax can get some decent air," Vi joked.

Max playfully glared at Vi for the nickname.

"Okay, geez. Supermax can fly. Better?"

Max froze and dropped the gas mask and costume in her hand to the floor.

"Max? Hey..." Vi saw she looked disturbed. When the brunette still seemed stunned, she said, "Are you okay? Did I say something wrong?"

Max shook off the memory of Chloe and said, "No...just um...yeah, no. It's nothing." She added, "Let's get you into this thing." She bent down and picked up the costume and mask.

"Sure, yeah..." Vi said calmly compared to her usual self, letting it go.

As Max went over to the couch, Kate came over and whispered, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah...sorry."

"Why are you apologizing? It's okay...I-" It seemed an idea popped into her head. "This is about..._her_, isn't it?" She didn't sound upset, but Max still started to become more emotional.

"I'm sorry, Katie. I'm not trying to..."

"Shh shh, love. It's okay," Kate said as she put her arms around her girlfriend, squishing the items between them. "I told you, it's okay, that it takes time. I'm here for you and I'm not upset at all."

"Really?" Max squeaked out.

Kate turned her head to convince Max with a tender kiss. Max melted a little, the tension and anxiousness mostly leaving her body.

"Okay?" the blonde said, after pulling back to look her in the eyes.

Max just nodded. Kate smiled and gave her another quick peck on the lips and motioned for Vi to come over. She had been waiting for their moment to be over. As she approached them, the older girl said, "My angel is so good to my Maxie. I think I'm starting to get used to all your excessive cuteness. I don't feel half as queasy as I used to."

Kate gave her a good natured annoyed look and Max smiled a little, letting Vi know that her attempt to lighten the mood again had worked to some degree. She continued, "Okay, fuck, let's get me in this thing!"

They moved to stand on either side of Vi to give her support and Max took the initiative to bent down to help the older girl's legs slip into the hazmat suit on her side, then Kate did the same.

Vi put her arms one by one through the sleeves and zipped up. She left the hoodie down for now and held the gas mask.

She then suddenly said with her usual full cheerfulness, "Well, I'm ready, so let's get the fuck out of here!"

"Sure thing, Vi." Max said and they all headed out to the car.

After several minutes they were back at the church again, with their additional passenger. It looked different now with a large portion of the parking lot sectioned off by bails of hay all around and small awnings that contained games like throwing balls to knock over things and other similar carnival style games.

When they parked, Max turned around and said to Vi, "Remember, we are _avoiding_ fights, not looking for them. Right?"

"No promises, but I will try my best."

"And what do we say about the haters?" Vi asked.

"Fuck 'em," Max said.

"Forgive them?" Kate said with her hands up in a shrug.

"Oh sweet Kate," Vi said, shaking her head and closing her eyes, but then she stopped and said, "Sure. Maxie and me will take care of the fucking people up, and you can cover the forgiving."

Max and Kate both said, "Vi!"

"Woah, okay, okay. It's baby gays in stereo. I'd like it if it wasn't you both being on me, but okay, I'll be good, Jesus. I mean geez. Sorry."

"It's okay. You try," Kate said with a smile and pat Vi's good leg.

"Alright then, let's show these god fearing fuckers we're not afraid of _them_."

With that, Vi threw her door open and scooted out, only taking one crutch with her. The other girls left the car as well, Max opening the door for Kate. The blonde kept her eyes on her and they gave each other a supportive look of comfort as they held hands. Vi came around and nodded to them, saying, "I got your backs. Let me just text, Steph and see where she's at."

After a minute, Vi said, "Okay, she'll be here in about 5 minutes. You guys mind waiting?"

Max shook her head as Kate said, "No problem." They both looked at each other, pleased at how considerate Vi was to Steph, like she really cared about the girl already. They made sure their glance was unnoticed by the older girl.

"So what do we do here?" Vi asked Kate.

The blonde replied, "There's games and some square dancing at some point...some pumpkin pie eating contest..."

"Fuck yes, I'm in," Vi said enthusiastically.

"You have to sign up, just so you know," Kate said.

"What? Well fuck." Vi got on her phone.

"What are you doing?" Max asked.

"Telling Steph to get her cute little ass over here so I can enter this contest!"

"She'll be here in 5 minutes or less at this point, Vi. I think you'll be okay."

"Okay, okay...fine," the older girl said as she put her phone away.

Kate added, "They do more than one, so you'll probably get into one of them."

"I better, fuck. One of the few contest related things I'm good at, I'm not getting shut out of this one."

"We'll go straight to the sign ups when Steph gets here," Kate said.

A number of cars had parked nearby and some of the people gave glances, but no one said anything or looked very long. So far, it was as Max hoped. She squeezed Kate's hand. The blonde looked at her and smiled.

After closer to ten minutes, Steph appeared after parking a little ways away. She was dressed as some sort of duel sword wielding medieval fantasy character that showed off her midriff.

"Fuck babe, you look hot as shit."

"Thanks, Momma Vi," Steph said, smiling at the compliment.

Vi looked instantly embarrassed and, putting a hand over her face said, "Not in front of the kids." She hastily added, "And that was her idea, not mine..."

Steph said, "I heard her call herself that to you guys and I liked it," and came over to step in front of Vi, putting the older girl's hand down and then taking it as she turned around. Steph moved Vi's hand around herself as she backed into snuggle close to the taller girl. Vi's hand held the other girl's sides and then naturally went to touch her flat stomach, caressing across it once. To Max and Kate, it seemed like the two had been a couple forever. Vi gave both of them a stare, a silent threat for them not to say anything.

"So...obviously you know about us," Steph began. "I guess I should thank you, Max."

"Me?"

"If you didn't let me know where you were going that day, I may have never met this girl."

"Seems like you two got along pretty well without us."

"Yeah, you can say that," Steph said smiling and leaning into Vi's head with her own.

A man walked by, staring at them. He didn't say anything, but Vi gave him a dirty look and tilted her head up. He quickly looked away and walked faster

"Vi..." Max chastised.

"What!? I didn't touch him! In fact, I should get a medal! I didn't even threaten him!"

"Not verbally," Max corrected.

"Well fuck, I can't even mad dog people?"

"Can you try ignoring?" Kate asked.

"That's what I do. They're never worth it," Steph said as she pulled Vi's hands in to hold her tighter.

"Well, that's not what _I_ do, but okay...I can _try_ to do that," Vi said, seeming to want to please the girl in her arms while still sounding like she was in control. She then said, "Can we get in there now? Mamma needs to sign up for that pie contest,"

"Oh does she?" Steph said. "Going to win for me?"

"Or die trying."

"Don't you mean, or pie trying?" Steph said with a grin.

Vi groaned and said, "You get a pass on that one, only cause you're cute. Now let's go!" She put her hand on her shoulder and led her forward while the other girls followed, sharing a pleased look between each other.


	39. Chapter 39

Vi did not wait for Kate's direction, but instead asked the nearest church member, who was so caught off guard that he just directed them to the pie eating contest without saying anything else.

"Thanks, dude!" Vi shouted back to him as she kept walking with Steph as her other crutch. The man did a double take, seeing Kate, but they were soon moved beyond him. Many people started staring and whispering as they got deeper into the event area, but no one confronted them and they were soon past whoever leered as they kept moving. Max noticed and wondered if the blonde's bold costume took away from their desire or even ability to call her out, because she was definitely not hiding anything now. She walked confidently as she held Max's hand. Whatever the reason, no one bothered them yet, besides looks that Kate seemed to not see or chose to ignore.

When they reached the sign up area, Vi quickly grabbed a clipboard and starting writing her name down with the attached pen that hung from a string. She slammed the pen down when finished.

Seeing that she was done, Kate said, "So, looks like you signed up for the eight o'clock one."

"That's in...less than fifteen minutes," Steph said, checking her phone.

"I guess we can just hang until then," Vi said, again going behind Steph to put an arm around her and peak her head over the girls shoulder. She slipped a hand down to grasp the handle of one of the swords that hung at her sides, but Steph slapped it away.

"Never touch a Warblade's weapon. That's how you lose a hand if you're not killed outright," Steph said, coming out with her confident Dungeonmaster voice.

Vi said, "Damn girl, that hurt. I didn't know how hard-core of a nerd you really were until now." She shook her hand as if to throw off the sting. "That's the last time I mess with you," she added, exaggerating how hurt and startled she really was, even making a pouty face that the other girl couldn't see.

"Aww, poor thing," Steph said as she took the hand that she slapped into both of her own. She raised it to her lips and gave it a tender kiss and the older girl's face became a smile. She gave Steph a light squeeze.

"I think you bumped my boob earlier too," Vi said quietly into her ear, but loud enough for the other girls to hear.

The younger girl elbowed Vi lightly and said, "Shut up, pervert," clearly enjoying the suggestive comment, but choosing not to encourage it.

"Hey, I know another pervert when I see one. By next week you'll be having me in a dragon costume, punishing you for trying to steal my horde."

"What makes you think _you'll_ be doing the punishing?"

"I feel like I'm not supposed to be here," Max said while smiling.

"Just let them have their fun, love," Kate said lightly.

"As long as they don't actually do it here," Max replied.

Vi said, "Of course not, Maxie. We're saving it for a new part of the show. Speaking of which, I have another gig tomorrow night, so clear your calendars."

"I can give you a ride. Why didn't you ask me?" Steph questioned, sounding a little hurt.

"Well...I didn't want to bug you, if you were busy..." Vi said awkwardly.

"I'm up for any excuse to spend time with you. You were at least going to invite me, right?" Steph replied.

The girls noticed Vi's subtle bashfulness at the first comment and then the guilt at the second. She acted as if neither affected her as she said, "Yeah, it's kind of a last minute thing. Some other band canceled on them, so we agreed to fill in. The Screw Ups are reliable, if only to continue our ironic streak. So...you offering?"

"I already did. Are you accepting?"

"Of course. Let me send you guys the info. She detached herself from Steph and texted all three the time and location.

"This might be the last time I can get you all in though. My favor status is wearing thin, I mean, so much that I think _I'm_ the one who owes at this point. We need to look into getting fake IDs."

"I know a guy for that," Steph said.

Vi raised her eyebrows in surprise and said, "Steph with the connections...I like it."

The girl shrugged and said, "Just let me know when you guys want to set something up."

"Definitely soon," Vi said with a grin.

"I don't know..." Kate said reluctantly.

Vi sighed and said, "There's my true angel, but now's not the time, sweet Kate."

"We'll think about it..." Kate offered.

"Psh, okay, I guess I'll take that for now."

"Hey, looks like they're sitting people down now," Max said, gesturing with her head.

"Don't wish me luck, I won't need it. But I'll take a kiss," Vi said as she slid her hand to behind Steph's lower back to pull her in.

The younger girl happily allowed it and held Vi's face as their lips met. "Go kill it, Mamma Vi."

"What did I tell you..." Vi grumbled through her smile.

Max noticed a young man with his mouth slightly open staring and she was relieved that the older girl did not see him as she made her way to the table with the other contestants. Someone directed their friend to her seat as they set up.

Turning to Steph, Max said, almost as a question, "So, you two sure seem like you're really clicking."

The dual wielding warrior paused, not expecting the question, but then said, "Yeah, right from the start, really."

Max smiled and said, "We saw a little bit of it before we left, but what actually happened when we were gone?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but...I really don't care and I doubt Vi does, so I guess I can tell you...but...I _am_ wondering though, if you're always going to be this nosy."

"She is," Kate said, jumping in.

Max rolled her eyes but knew better than to argue the truth.

"It's only because she cares," Kate added.

Steph shrugged. "I'll tell you either way. So...when you left I was saying how much it sucked, what happened to her. That's when she quoted: _The rain falls on the just and unjust alike. _I immediately recognized it from watchmen, of course, and said so."

"Of course, " Max said lightly with sarcasm, shrugging as she looked at Kate who did the same, but then the blonde added, "That's from Matthew 5:45, actually."

"What's that?" Steph said raising an eyebrow.

"That you...may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust."

Steph nodded and said, "Wow, damn. You know your scripture. I never knew Watchmen ripped off the Bible."

"I just happen to have read it recently," Kate said modestly.

Still, that's a better memory than me. I bet you never have to study. But anyways...she tried claiming that she caught me in a nerd test, but she liked when I told her I was the best fucking nerd she'll ever meet, because I really am."

"She just said she liked it? " Kate asked.

"Well, her exact words were that she thought it was _hot_ _as_ _shit_."

"Ah, that's sounds more like Vi," Kate said.

"Yeah," Steph said with a chuckle.

"Hey guys, they're about to start," Max said, squeezing Kate's hand.

A man had come out in front of the table and the crowd around became more quiet as he stood waiting a moment and then raised his hand.

The girls came closer and merged with the crowd toward one end. From their view, they could see Vi a few spots down in the row of tables, looking almost overly focused.

The man then spoke, saying, "Thank you folks. We are ready to begin the next pumpkin pie eating contest. Remember, the first to completely eat their entire pie will be the winner to compete in the final round with all the other winners. Judges, well judge, me, will determine if any crumbs count or do not count. Alright, contestants, is everyone ready?"

"Fuck yeah! Let's do this!" Vi said loudly.

Max put her hand to her head and Kate looked awkwardly around, while Steph just smiled.

After a small gasp and looking around a moment, Vi added, "I mean...heck yeah...ready!" noticeably less enthusiastic and then mouthed to her friends, "Oops," with a shrug.

The girls smiled back and Kate gave her two thumbs up.

This seemed to shake off Vi's embarrassment which may have been faked just for their benefit. Either way, her face returned to a look of determination.

The man said, "Okay then. Ready...set...eat!"

Everyone seated at the table begin shoveling their pie into their mouth, grabbing at it in chunks. It was almost scary to watch how animalistic everyone became. After almost a minute, the girls could tell that Vi was actually doing pretty well. They couldn't see everyone, but from what they could view, she was at least keeping up with those around her, if not beating them. When it seemed like their friend would be finished in a second, they heard someone cry, "Done!" and a pie tin was thrown down to the ground.

Vi finished her last bite and yelled, "Fucking damn it!" spitting out pieces as she cursed and slammed her arm down to bend her pie tin down the middle. The people beside her scooted back and looked worriedly at her a moment, but then she shook her head and stood, picking up her crutch. The girls weaved through the crowd to follow her movement and saw her going straight to the man who had won.

_Oh_ _shit..._Max thought. Her instincts told her to be ready to use her powers.

When Vi reached the man though, he looked at her suspiciously for a second until the girl put out a hand, which he took. He smiled as they shook hands and she said, "Good job, man. I almost had you beat, but I guess you're the better eater today."

"Well, thank you," he said and their handshake concluded. Vi nodded and then looked into the crowd until finding the girls. She smiled and made her way towards them and they met her in the middle as the crowd broke up and spread out.

"You almost had it," Max said as they came together.

"I know!" Vi said shaking her fists.

"Next time," Steph said as she gave Vi a side hug with one arm.

The older girl groaned and bent down a little, causing the dual wielding warrior to release her grasp.

Vi coughed out, "Next time? Right now I'm more worried about finding the next bathroom. Where is it, actually?"

Kate pointed across the parking lot and said, "There's porta potties down that way."

"Let's go!" Vi declared as she led them toward the direction Kate had indicated. She was not waiting for the other two as she continued to use Steph as support.

Max felt eyes on them as they walked. She held hands with Kate and there was a little tension still, even though nothing had happened. She was not ashamed at all, but worried what might happen if one of the gawkers acted. They made it though to the other side of the parking lot without incident.

Vi found an empty porta potty on one end of the row and went in. There were only a few occupied in the row, farther away from them.

There was a little while of awkward silence and then Steph turned to the girls and said, "So look, Vi told me about the whole Chloe thing, and I get it."

"She told you?" Kate said, with a worried embarrassed look.

"Oh damn, sorry...yeah, but just so I wouldn't say something stupid," Steph said quickly. "Crap, I guess I just did, but I'm bringing it up because I wanted to say...I hope you don't hate her. You don't seem the type, but she really was a good person and she was so nice to my friend Mikey. He's been going through some tough times, like her..."

Kate mostly recovered from her surprise and said, "No...I don't hate her...and I'm uh, sorry about your friend."

"Thanks. I-"

Steph stopped when Vi came out and said, "Um guys, don't act weird, but the toilet talked to me," Vi said with a blank face.

"What?" Max said and all three looked at the older girl, confused.

"You guys _suck_ at not looking weird," she grumbled under her breath, but held a smile. The contrast was a little disturbing. She then said, "Pretend to laugh." Vi suddenly chuckled loudly and they gave their own awkward laughs or smiles. The older girl then roughly patted Max's back.

Vi came close to Steph and spoke carefully not to project while looking at Max, saying, "Kate, pretend to tell us you're going to the bathroom."

There was a pause as everyone was confused by her misdirecting gaze, but then the blonde said, "Okay...Hey guys, I'm going to the bathroom," the blonde said uncertainly. They turned to her when she spoke and saw a realization seemed to have come to her. Her perplexed expression disappeared and she appeared her normal self again as she went to the same porta potty that Vi came from.

As she left, the older girl said, "Okay guys don't react, but it was angel's sister behind the other side of the porta potty. Now _don't_ look around, I _mean_ it. _Don't_. We're being watched."

Max almost did turn her head, but stopped herself.

"Why couldn't you just tell her?" Max asked.

Vi rolled her eyes and said, "For fuck's sake. I didn't want her to react and have those fuckers come on us like Jesus' SWAT team." The older girl was still smiling the whole time and it did not match her voice at all.

"Oh..." Max said, more than a little embarrassed.

"So let's get into some normal conversation until angel's done. Fuck. I'll teach you guys later about how to look casual. You're not too bad cutie," Vi said, referring to Steph. "Maxie, sorry, but _you_ need a lot of work."

Steph moved to support Vi and then said, "We could have used your mad acting skills in this play we did, The Tempest. I was suppose to do the sound and lights, but I was on another hospital visit."

Vi looked over at her with a playful face of suspicion.

"To see my _friend_, Mikey," Steph said, rolling her eyes. Actually, Chloe was in it and I heard that people actually loved her."

"Chloe...sh-she was in a play? She never told me that..." Max said, trying to picture it.

"Hard to blame her for not opening up to you. She told me what you did Max. I was pretty upset at you for a while."

The brunette's eyes widened. "But-"

"Yeah, Chloe told me how you left her...but I _get_ _it_ now. Vi told me that too."

"What are you telling them?" Vi said, trying to keep her face cheerful.

Steph said, "Shh, hush now. Let me finish," then turned back to Max. Vi gave her a grumpy look, but let her talk. Steph continued with Max, saying, "It's okay now. Before I knew though, I just wanted to meet you and see what your deal was, to see what kind of person would do that to someone in such a...horrible place. I felt bad enough when I left to take a gap year in Europe, but I came back early when I heard what happened."

"You were _there_?" Max felt her eyes watering as she began to relive the day of the funeral.

Steph's voice became more tender as she said, "Yeah...I saw you and I knew the way you acted that you cared about her...I didn't realize how much until later. I'm sorry to bring it up, Max. The reason I am though, is because I want to be able to talk about her openly with other people who knew her. She deserves to be remembered. And it's _good_ to talk about her, for _all_ of us. I won't force it anymore, but I wanted you to know I would love to be able to talk about her more some time. It's between you and Kate though if you want that or not."

"I..."

"You don't have to tell me anything now. It's okay. Just think about it, okay?"

Max nodded, grateful no response was needed, but she seemed full of emotions still.

"Damn it, I'm sorry, Max..." Steph looked at her guiltily, then also to Vi, feeling bad about distressing her friend. She was not sure what to do, but put a hand on Max's arm. Vi separated from Steph and gave the freckled girl a tight one armed hug and said, "I'm no angel substitute, but I hope I'll work for now."

Max smiled through her sadness as a tear fell and she slipped a hand up to wipe it away. She then said, "You're perfect, Vi"

The older girl stood up straighter and said, "You heard that? _Perfect_. I expect your next compliment to match that at _least_, if not better, 'kay?" She winked to Steph who rolled her eyes. Max smiled a little brighter and began to feel better.

The hug ended just as the porta potty opened and Kate came out.

Vi narrowed her eyes and said, "Shitting isn't that exciting, don't smile so much."

The blonde dropped her grin, but then it returned when she went behind Max to hug her tight, almost picking her up. When she let go, she came around and looked at her. Her cheerfulness disappeared when she saw Max looking downcast.

"Em? What happened?"

"I'm okay now..."

"Is this about what Steph was..."

"Yeah, but it's fine. We can talk about it later. Tell us what happened."

"Are you sure...?"

"_Yes_, go ahead," Max said and took the blonde's hand and put it around her own waist.

Kate said quietly, "Okay...well...I talked to Lynn...and she said Anne wanted to come, but it would draw too much attention. She said..." Kate started to become emotional for a moment but then compose yourself and continued, saying, "She said dad...that _my_ dad was going to just kick us out as soon as we came in, but she convinced him to just leave us alone as long as there wasn't any trouble."

Max didn't care about looking suspicious, and put both arms around her girlfriend to give her a firm embrace.

"Thanks, love," Kate said weakly. Then, after clearing her throat, she said, "Lynn reminded me that I need to change my phone number, especially since Anne got her phone back."

"Where _is_ Anne?"

"Somewhere around here...with friends."

"Maybe we'll run into her," Max said.

"Lynn thought it'd be too risky, so probably not," Kate said, a little downcast.

"Oh, I'm sorry, heart."

"It's okay, we can figure out a time to meet with her later. I know it'll happen, I just wish...I just wish I could see her right now."

Max couldn't think of anything to say, so she just held Kate tighter.

After a moment and a deep breath, the blonde said, "I'll be okay," sounding mostly better.

"Anything else?" Vi asked.

"She asked if you were feeling okay," Kate said with a humorous smile slowly growing.

"Why would she...oh...damn it, angel, not in front of the babe. I _knew_ she must have been waiting there as soon as I got in..."

Steph perked up at the nickname and said, "Babe?"

"Well yeah, you're a total babe," Vi said matter-of-factly.

"You can call me babe. Just leave out that _the_."

"Fuck, babe, we're all becoming such total uhaulers." Steph glared at Vi and the older girl immediately said, "Just kidding! Shit, babe. So serious." Vi turned to the other girls and said, "Oh shit, sorry babies. No offense. You guys are a very special case. I didn't mean anything by it..."

The girls looked lost.

"Oh, fuck. I forgot. Baby gays. So..." she began, trying to find the words, but then continued, saying, "...people have a stereotype for lesbians who move in together right away, you know...uhaulers. Get it?"

Kate said to the brunette, "So...did I turn us into uhaulers?"

"If being with you every night right now makes me a uhauler, then sign me up," Max said and kissed her cheek.

"Fuck yeah, Maxie. You tell 'em," Vi said with a fist up.

"Tell who? You?" Max said, tilting her head and looking at Vi with an exaggerated expression of annoyance.

Looking a bit sheepish, Vi said, "Uh...yeah. Tell me...uh, yeah, fucking shut up, Vi, you big dope. You don't know shit, so shut your big mouth. Something like that...?"

Max smiled and said, "That'll do."

Ready to move on, Steph said, "So...what now guys?"

"We are going to go play these overpriced games until I win a prize for you, babe."

"You sure took to that name quick," Steph said.

"Well fuck, I have to establish my ownership of the term before these babies take it. I think they're after all the cute names."

"You better believe it," Max said grinning. "Isn't that right, babe?"

Kate smiled misheviously and held Max's arms firmer to her body as she said, "Totally, babe. Did I ever tell you how much of a babe you are?"

"All the time, babe."

Vi smiled with narrow eyes as she shook her head and then she flipped them off. "Fuck you guys."

"Come on, Mamma Vi," Steph said, pinching her behind.

The older girl grinned wide. "You know how to motivate me, _babe_." Vi sneered at the other girls, but then smiled. "Let's go, motherfuckers!"

As they started walking, Steph whispered something in Vi's ear and the older girl made a pretend shocked face and then she smiled and leaned in to kiss her, which Steph seemed to have been expecting. They then continued walking. Max gave Kate an amused look which she returned and they followed the other two girls, hand in hand.

When they got to a booth that had metal milk bottles to knock over, Vi got right in line. She turned around and said to the others, "I got this one," and pounded a fist into her palm.

"I like the confidence," Steph said, pretending to feel Vi's muscles.

"I know, sure worked last time," Vi said, rolling her eyes.

"Hey, you can pay 'til you win," Max said.

"Until my wallet's empty," Vi corrected, taking it out and looking through it.

"I think you'll knock them down way before that," Kate said supportively.

"Thanks, angel." Vi got out a five, which would get her three balls to throw.

A couple minutes later they were at the front and Vi paid the booth attendee, a skinny older man who gave her a judging look, but said nothing. Vi was too focused on her upcoming throws and didn't notice.

Steph said, "You got this. Show them _you're_ the one who knocks." She then smacked Vi's bottom with an underhanded smack. The older girl turned and grinned at Steph and so missed the man's glare.

Vi faced forward again and took a ball in one hand. She first rolled up her yellow sleeves. The older girl then tilted her head until her neck made a cracking noises and then shook her arm loose before stretching it out. The girls said nothing anymore, not wanting to throw her off.

With a focused look, Vi honed in on her target and then with one hand supporting herself, swiftly swung her other arm across the barrier, throwing the ball at the dead center of the pyramid of bottles. The tower seemed to be toppling completely over, but after bottles finished falling, one remained.

"Fuck!" Vi made a shocked guilty face her own outburst. "Shit, sorry." She groaned. "I mean...sorry, just sorry."

The man behind the booth just folded his arms, looking annoyed.

Vi let out a long breath and shook out her arm again. She again took a long breath and focused her gaze on the remaining bottle. She winded back and then threw the ball hard, knocking into the bottle and scooting it back, but not tipping it over. Vi grumbled loudly and quickly took her last ball and threw it quickly, hitting it again in the exact same spot which pushed it off the edge.

"Fuck yes! And I'm _not_ apologizing about that one."

"You're so awesome. I knew you could do it," Steph said cheerfully.

Vi grinned at the compliment and put her hand on the small of Steph's back to pull her in for a kiss. The younger girl put her arms around Vi's neck as their lips met.

During their long kiss the man mumbled, "Damn dykes."

Vi broke the kiss and looked past Steph's shoulder and said, "What'd you say, motherfucker?"

"You heard me, dyke," he said louder, but with a little hesitation.

"And proud of it. But you talk to me in that tone again and I'll hop right over this thing and show you that this cast won't stop me from kicking your ass back to Jesus."

"You just threaten me?"

Vi hobbled a step closer to the booth and swept her arm to scatter the balls across the counter, some knocking into the man as he jumped back. "Is that clear enough for you?"

Steph pulled at the older girl and said, "Vi, forget him. We should go..."

Max came over and helped pull the older girl back, which Vi allowed. She pointed at the man and said, "You're lucky they're here, you piece of shit." She spit at the ground toward him, just as a last gesture.

Kate look worriedly at the others. When she saw Max looking, the blonde said, "Um...Em...I think they're coming for us..."

Max looked around and saw at least one man who seemed to be heading their way. She did not want to have to use her powers. "Let's go. We're cutting the night short."

The freckled girl took Kate's hand and led her away with the others. Vi said, "Wait," and hobbled back to the booth.

"Vi..." Max said, knowing she wouldn't listen.

When the older girl got there, the man started stepping back and putting his hand out.

"Now hold on..." he started to say.

"Vi just glared at him as she approached the prizes and grabbed a large brown teddy bear from the spot where it hung.

"I fucking earned this."

The man said nothing and so she stuck the oversized bear under her arm and stepped away, with her one crutch helping her along.

Steph was smiling and took the bear once Vi reached her. "I don't love teddy bears, but I love _this_ one." She gave Vi a kiss and added, "This is a good start to making up for your bad behavior..."

"I _have_ been bad. Do I need to be punished..."

"Guys! What the hell?" Max said with frustration.

"Sorry!" Steph said and helped Vi move faster.

As they headed toward the exit, they could tell that the people following them were keeping their distance. They must have been able to tell that the group was heading to the exit, Max assumed.

Soon they had reached the end of the parking lot. Vi looked guiltily at them and said, "Sorry guys...I..." Her eyes got big in alarm as her gaze moved to somewhere behind them.

They all turned and a girl was suddenly there, coming at them at a full run and went right into Kate with an intense hug.

"Anne?" the blonde said in surprise.

Her sister tumbled out her words between her cries. "I'm so sorry, Kate...I love you so much, I'm sorry I was...I just didn't know what to think...I never knew or even thought about...any of it...but, you should be able to love who you want...Max is so nice...Dad says it's wrong, but it doesn't _feel_ wrong..."

Kate shed tears of happiness as she said, "I love you too, Anne...so much, no matter what...but Lynn said it was too risky...aren't you going to get in trouble being with me like this?"

"I don't care. I needed to see you. I missed you..."

"I really missed you too...I'm going to visit you at school sometime, but maybe not right away. If they see us, they might be more suspicious for a while."

"Yeah...that makes sense...okay," Anne said, sniffling. Kate held her tighter and kissed her cheek. The younger sister smiled and then looked past her with some fear, as if she saw something. "You better go now. They won't follow you I think, if I stay here."

"Okay. I love you, Anne,"

"I love you too." Her sister hugged her tight one more time.

They parted from each other and Anne called out, "Bye, Max. Take care of my sister. Please keep her safe."

"I promise," Max said with a solemn smile.

Anne nodded to the other two girls and they smiled back. The young aister gave Kate one last look before turning around. She walked reluctantly back into the harvest festival.

Max held Kate's hand as they walked to the car. She looked to her with concern and asked, "Are you...okay?" and put her other hand to also hold Kate's, caressing it to comfort her, but the blonde thought a moment and said, "I'm good actually. Really good. I'm so glad I got to see her...and at least talk to Lynn again."

The brunette smiled, relieved that Kate seemed to mostly only take something positive out of the night. Max told herself she shouldn't have been surprised, knowing Kate.

When they reached the car, Vi said, "Hey guys, I'm catching a ride with this babe here. Try not to be jealous."

"You two drive safe," Max said. "It was fun hanging out with you Steph. We'll talk more...about things."

"Yeah, I had fun too. Sounds good, Max," the girl replied with a smile.

Vi grumbled, "It was fun hanging out with you too, Vi..." and made a sour face.

Kate said, "Vi, it's always implied that we have fun with you. I think you are the definition of fun."

Vi smiled and said, "Start taking notes, babe. My baby gays are both some smooth talkers."

They bid their final goodbyes, gave their last hugs and soon Max was driving Kate back to Blackwell. They both were mostly quiet and just held hands with fingers lightly moving around to caress each other's palms.

When they got back to the dorms, they agreed to just go straight to bed after getting ready for it. They brushed their teeth first, and then went back to Kate's room. Max was trying to analyze Kate's mood to make sure she was okay, but it was hard to tell what was going on in her head. She was mostly quiet.

Next, they picked out clothes of each other to wear to bed. Some of Max's shirts were now stored there, just for this purpose. As Kate put on the brunette's dark green shirt, she looked over her shoulder at Max and the freckled girl could see something in her eye. It was a wanting stare and she felt herself return the look without even trying. She already had Kate's white shirt on and was pulling up her pajama pants.

Now, both ready for bed, the girls walked towards it and each other. Once standing apart by a foot, there was a pause and they both saw the desire in each other's eyes. Acting at the same time, the girls came together with Max wrapping her hands around the blonde's waist as Kate put her hands behind the freckled girl's head. They went right into a passionate kiss and Max's hands began stroking up and down the blonde's back. Their coupling quickly became more intense. Kate slipped her tongue into Max's mouth to meet the brunette's own as they breathed heavier and held each other firmer. In the middle of kissing, the blonde took Max's hands when they were low and brought them even lower to cup her behind. She made sure to press the freckled girl's hands in firmly to show her exactly how she wanted to be touched. Max followed her lead and squeezed her girlfriend's ass as she continued to make out with her by the bed.

When they paused a moment, breathing heavily and still locked in each other's arms, the brunette asked with one word, "Bed?" Kate nodded firmly and they quickly crawled into it. Kate lay on her back as Max followed her, both seeming to choose their positions only based on how they got into bed and trying not to separate as much as they could.

Max was kneeling over her with one knee on either side of one of the blonde's legs. She let herself put some of her light weight on Kate's side as she came in close and began kissing her once again. Kate moves her hands from her girlfriend's face, down her body and back again, not able to keep them in one place. Max supported herself with her left arm while the other held Kate's side.

While they kissed, Kate slipped her hand down to take Max's and guided it up her shirt. The brunette hesistantly moved it upward, lightly grazing across her girlfriend's skin. She stopped halfway up and pulled back to look at Kate. The freckled girl was waiting for a verbal confirmation of what the other wanted, but received something better. Kate pulled Max's head down to have their lips meet in a renewed passionate kiss while her other hand took hold of Max's arm to thrust the freckled girl's hand upwards until it met her soft breast.

Kate's body twitched at the touch. Max let her hand rest a moment where it was, feeling the hard nipple against her palm. She couldn't keep it still long though and was soon gently groping Kate, feeling the weight of her breast and playing with her nipple between her fingers.

The blonde was unable to keep still and Max could feel her almost thrusting her hips upward. They continued kissing, though it seemed hard for Kate to focus. She finally took her right hand and slipped it down to go under her own pajama pants. Max felt the movement and adjusted to allow Kate to move her arm and hand freely.

As soon as Kate's fingers reached their destination, she moaned and Max knew from how lost her girlfriend was in her sensations that she would be unable to kiss anymore until she came. The brunette moved her head down to nibble at her neck while Kate's fingers continued their repetitive motion. When Max moved her hand across to touch the other breast and had the nipple between her fingers, Kate's body became rigid and then the blonde arched her back and let out a loud moan as an intense orgasm took her.

Max moved her head back to kiss her girlfriend and their lips met once again. They stopped though when Kate pulled her previously busy hand out of her pajama pants and held it out, not sure what to do with it. Max stared at the slick sheen that covered the blonde's fingers. She almost reached a hand out toward it but stopped. Kate noticed and brought her hand up to close to Max. The blonde looked at her questioningly, biting her lip. The freckled girl didn't want to deny her curiosity or desire. She took Kate's wrist and brought the fingers to her mouth, taking the index finger past her lips. She felt her tongue glide along the finger and then back to lap up Kate's nectar, tasting her for the first time. Max sucked on the finger two more times, savoring the taste. She did not know how to truly feel about it as it happened, except that it made her even wetter than she was a moment before. The look her girlfriend gave her as she had her mouth wrapped around her finger was an additional turn on.

When Kate knew the brunette was done with her finger, she took that hand and slipped it under Max's shirt. She stopped halfway up and looked at her girlfriend who bit her lip and nodded twice. With that, Kate continued upward until she was touching Max's perky breast, lightly rubbing across her nipple with her thumb. Max began grinding against Kate's leg without even thinking about it. When the blonde's other hand went up her shirt and Max felt both her breasts groped, her nipples toyed with, it drove her into a frenzy and she slid back and forth across Kate's leg until she moaned her way into her own orgasm. As it started to take her, Kate said, "Yeah...come for me Em...Come for me..." Hearing Kate's words took her euphoria to new heights, and her body shuddered, then froze. Max's moaning reached its peak and she came more intensely than she ever had alone. When the feeling ended, she let herself rest on the blonde, their sweat mixing together as hands moved around to hold each other. Kate kept her hands under Max's shirt, but rested them near the brunette's shoulder blades which pulled the fabric up, revealing her lower back.

They both wanted relive the feeling, to cum again, maybe more than once, but something in that moment told them to stop. They were both panting and after a few seconds of catching their breaths, Max settled more into Kate's side and the two looked sweetly at each other with tender expressions.

"I love you, Katie...I want...I just want it to be like this forever."

"I love you, Em..." Kate's hands held her a little firmer as she said, "It will be."

They kissed one more time. Max brushed back Kate's hair and breathed her scent in deep. It was different tonight and made her think of how much she loved this new intimate part of their lives they were exploring. Max wanted to give Kate everything, all of herself and knew that she would someday soon enough. It would be okay if it didn't happen right away though. Being with her was enough. It always was, she thought. They both slowly let themselves drift off to sleep where they would continue to be together.


	40. Chapter 40

"Katie?" Max said looking around her bed.

Something felt wrong.

The room was bright, but there was a darkness somehow persisting across the the room just above the desk. She slowly leaned up and saw her camera sitting there.

Another lucid dream, the brunette thought. Another nightmare with her camera.

_That_ _damn_ _fucking_ _camera_. _What_ _does_ _it_ _want?!_

She wanted answers, but Max still felt that unexplainable fear as she stared at her device. The brunette fought the paralyzing feeling and slowly slid from the bed. As she moved in her mind, her body stirred in her real bed. After a few moments, she woke up crying, not knowing why and Kate was leaning over her, looking very worried.

As she caressed the freckled girl's face, Kate soothingly said with a congested voice, "Shh, shh, Em. I'm here, you're okay..."

Max's confused expression gave way to her distress again, even though she didn't know why she felt it. Kate pulled her up to hold Max and whisper words of reassurance as the brunette cried into her shoulder. While being gently rocked, the freckled girl slowly calmed down until she was just sniffling. When that had mostly ended as well, Kate said, "Are you feeling okay now?"

"I...I think so..." She sniffled again and pulled back from her girlfriend to wipe her nose.

"Was it the same thing again?" Kate asked.

"Yeah..." Max quietly rasped, not explaining further.

"The camera?" Kate delicately probed.

Max nodded slowly.

With a frown, Kate put her hand on the brunette's cheek and said, "I wish this nightmare would just go away. Maybe...you could talk about it with your therapist?"

Max considered. She quietly said, "Maybe...My session's tomorrow. Hey...you're still sick?"

Kate shrugged. "It's not too bad, except for the headache. I'll survive. Maybe I'll take an aspirin later." She gave a brief smile that faded as she continued. "Mine's today, but...maybe I should cancel." The evenness of her voice sounded forced.

Max almost asked her why, but then realized it was because she thought her parents would be cutting her off from any kind of financial help and so wouldn't pay for therapy anymore. If insurance covered everything, they could still possibly have dropped her from their coverage, but the premium payment should cover the whole month. Max wondered if Kate was not realizing that, but was afraid to ask her the question. The brunette decided she had to though, in order to understand the problem.

"Katie, um...can I ask...is your therapy paid by insurance?"

"No..." the blonde said quietly. "My parents wanted to make sure I had a Christian therapist and a good one, so they just paid for it. I don't know if it was ahead of time or after...I never asked."

That's why she was worried, Max thought. The brunette hoped that Kate's mom and dad wouldn't be so cruel as to remove assurance to her mental health. Kate didn't seem to want to take the chance and owe money, Max surmised. Her concern for Kate took her completely out of her own morning crisis as her mind quickly thought of a possible temporary solution.

Taking the blonde's face in her hands, Max looked her girlfriend in the eyes and said, "Don't do anything just yet," then leaned in for a kiss. Both girls closed their eyes and their lips met. Max felt Kate's hand slip upward from its hold around her until it reached her neck. The blonde's fingers dug into the back of her hair, lightly combing with her fingernails, and making Max's head tingle.

Their kiss became another and then another. Max had only meant to have one, but became lost in their shared passionate moment. She brought her hands down to place one on Kate's hip while the other took the blonde's hand. The freckled girl was feeling she still had control of the intensifying intimate moment that she had started and decided to be bolder.

Max slid her hand on Kate's side upward, moving it to the front until she cupped her breast through the thin cotton fabric. The blonde twitched in surprise, but continued to kiss the other as their tongues darted in and out of each other's mouths and lips smacked together. Max made circle motions with her thumb and felt Kate's nipple rise against the fabric through the movement. As she toyed with it, lightly brushing against the now fully hardened and sensitive tip with her thumb, she took Kate's hand that she held. She put it between her own legs until it pressed against her soft mound to have Kate feel the growing heat radiating from underneath. Max then stopped their kissing to lean in and whisper into her girlfriend's ear, saying, "That's for you, later. I have to make a call right now though," and then kissed her firmly one more time before separating from Kate, leaving her looking confused and with a pleading stare.

"You are such a tease, love!" Kate said smiling in exasperation and crossed her arms over her chest before falling backwards on the bed with a playful, but frustrated groan.

"I learned from the best...besides, it sounded like you could barely breathe when we were kissing. I don't want to kill you!" Max said, smiling. She didn't want to let on how much she was also torturing herself too. She knew tonight would come soon enough though.

"Death by kisses, not a bad way to go, especially from you," Kate said with a grin, her head supported by her hand as she lay in the bed.

As Max crossed the room, Kate sat up, suddenly recalling Max's earlier words and said, "Wait...what are you doing? Who are you calling?" while looking at the brunette like a puzzle to solve with some suspicion mixed in as well.

"One second..." Max said as she pressed a couple times on her phone to call her mom and then turned away as the phone rang. She knew both her parents would probably still be at home, getting ready for work, and would most likely pick up.

The ringing did stop and her mother's voice was on the other end, saying, "Hello, honey? Max, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, mom. I'm fine. I just...um...sorry, but I'm calling to ask a favor..." Max said hesitantly.

Kate was looking alarmed and waving her hands to tell Max to stop. When the blonde began whispering, "Em, no...no, no, no..." Max ignored her and turned around, but then started walking further away from the bed, looking over her shoulder as she said, "We're...well...right now we're not sure she'll still be covered for her therapy." She didn't want to say out loud that Kate's parents may have left her high and dry in dealing with her mental health. "In case there's an issue...just for this one time only, can you...help her out if she ends up needing it?"

Vanessa was silent a moment and said, "Oh...well-"

"I won't ask for any money anymore, I promise, it's just...not a great time right now to stop seeing her therapist and how can I go to mine if she can't? I just want her to be okay..."

"Of course, Max..I'll double check with your father that we can afford it, but we would love to help out."

The brunette realized that she didn't even give her mother an estimate, but she had already practically agreed. She felt so grateful and made sure her voice conveyed it as she said, "Thank you, Mom!" Max smiled happily and saw Kate cover her face with her hands, but also noticed, in the unblocked part of her face, that the blonde had her own smile. She seemed ready to cry though, as it fluctuated back and forth between a frown, showing her overwhelmed emotional state.

"I'll let you know as soon as we can talk," Vanessa said, referring to Ryan.

"Actually, she has a session today..." Max said, drawing out the end of her sentence in hopes her mom could give her a quicker option without her having to directly ask.

"Oh? Okay, hold on, honey. I think I can catch him," Vanessa responded, taking the hint.

Max could hear her mom opening a door and shouting. Less than a minute later she could hear her dad sounding concerned until Vanessa explained the situation. Suddenly the phone was muted. A few seconds later, her mom was back on and said, "Tell her to go to her session. We'll take care of it if she needs it."

"Thank you so much, Mom. I love you! Tell Dad I love him too!" Max said cheerfully and smiled at Kate as she came over and hugged the blonde tight. She then stepped away as her mom spoke.

"He's gone now, but I'll tell him. I love you too, Max," Vanessa replied warmly.

"You really don't have to!" Kate shouted across the room.

Vanessa heard and said, "Tell that sweetie of yours that we're happy to help."

Max relayed her mom's exact words and Kate looked a little emotional, but managed to call out, "Thank you, Vanessa!" though she spoke weaker, overcome by the feelings of parental love and support that she was receiving and so desperately needed. She was still covering her face with her hands.

"Did you hear that?" Max asked.

"Yes," Vanessa warmly replied. "Tell Kate we love her."

"Mom says she loves you."

Kate nodded and put her hands down. Max could see tears coming down the blonde's cheeks and that her girlfriend was unable to speak.

"She loves you too, Mom," knowing Kate would say it if she could find her voice. The blonde confirmed her guess with an emphatic nod.

"I said we _both_ love her," her mom corrected with playful annoyance.

Max sighed with a smile and said to Kate, "I'm sorry, my mom's speaking for my dad and says they _both_ love you."

Kate gave, what sounded like to Max, a combination of cry and laughing.

"Well then, she loves _both_ of you too."

The blonde nodded again to once more confirm what Max said. After a pause, Vanessa continued.

"I hope we get to see you both again soon. Thanksgiving?" she said.

"Not sure what would stop us," Max answered.

"Good! Well, just take care of yourself. You sound a little sick. Are you?"

Max thought her voice came from the crying, but now that she thought of it, her head did feel a little achey. She did not want to admit it and have her stress out about it, but decided to be honest.

"Yeah, maybe, but it's nothing major, so don't worry."

"That's my job, to worry! At least drink lots of liquids and rest when you can. I know you know, but I'm saying it anyway."

"Okay, mom, I promise. But yeah, we'll be there," Max said, trying to move on the conversation.

"Great. It gives me something to look forward to. Say...how are you _two_ doing? I mean, both of you...together? Things must still be going good it sounds like..."

"Mom..."

"Sorry, I know she's right there. I'm not on speaker, am I?"

"No, I didn't um...yeah, no."

"Okay, well. I'd call when she's in her session, so you can talk openly, but I' sure I'll be working."

"I still would be saying the same things."

"You tell her everything, huh?"

"Always," Max confirmed.

"That's great. Being open and honest is the foun-...sorry, I won't get into a lecture this time. Just remember if you do have any issues, you can talk to me, okay?"

"Sure, mom," Max said, glad her mother couldn't see her rolling her eyes, but the brunette actually was grateful for the offer, even though she was fairly sure their problems, whenever they might come up, would stay between themselves and their therapists.

"Your therapy sessions are also good to have for that alone time. I bet you two are together every minute, which can be great, but-"

"Mom..."

"Sorry, but it's true. It's not like you can be this way forever. But...I guess you should enjoy it while you can. You'll both be going to college soon enough. Have you talked about that? You should getting ready to apply next month. Are you going to try to attend the same school? What if one of you gets into your dream college and the other doesn't get in, what are you going to do? If-"

"Woah, Mom! Slow down, it's not even eight yet."

"Sorry, Max. We don't get to talk much and I guess I'm trying to fit in all those important talks in the little time we have..."

"I guess I deserve that guilt trip."

"You're right though, I need to get to work. There will be a better time to talk...soon, hopefully?"

"Yeah, Mom. I'll try."

"I guess that's the best I'll get. You know I bug you about things just because I love you, right?"

"I do...I really will try to call more."

"I'll be watching my phone...Okay, I'll let you go, honey. Give Kate a big hug from us, okay?"

"I will. Love you," Max said.

"Love you. Bye for now," Vanessa replied.

"Bye, Mom," Max said and they both hung up.

"I really do love your mom. I love both your parents," Kate said from the bed.

"Well, this is from them," Max said as she got in with Kate and knelt next to the blonde to wrap her arms around the girl for a tight embrace. Max pulled back a little and gave Kate a brief kiss.

"And that's from me."

"Oh, good. I'm glad I didn't have to ask," Kate said with a smile. "What else did she say?"

"She invited you to Thanksgiving."

"Aww, I can't wait." They both knew it was probably a given, but Kate was happy to hear them make a it a point to invite her.

"She also thinks I sound sick."

Kate's face became a little concerned as she suddenly analyzed Max's state and felt her head.

"No fever," Kate started, then put her hand down and continued, saying, "But I don't have one either. You _do_ sound a little nasally, but less than me. Oh no, love...I made you sick!" She wrapped her arms around her then pulled them away, but said, "Well, I guess it's too late now," and put them around her again.

Max decided not to mention the headache which would just make her girlfriend feel worse.

"I thought the sniffles were just from the nightmare...but I guess not," Kate said with a sigh.

"Maybe both, but it's okay. I knew the risk and I'd do it again," she said, giving Kate one long kiss and then a small peck.

"So, I forget..." Max said as she played with a strand of blonde hair, "...when is your session?"

"Ten thirty. We should do a tea session first!" Kate said, suddenly thinking of the idea.

"It has been a while and we have plenty of time. _I'm_ up for it," she said with a small smile.

"Yay," Kate said cheerfully. She squeezed Max and then gave her a raspberry on her upper neck.

Max squealed in surprise and pulled away so hard she brought them both down in their embrace and nearly made them tumble off the bed together. Their heads both looked down at the floor and then each other. Their momentary look of fear quickly became humorous and they giggled together, then Max slipped with a yelp and Kate purposely went down with her, vainly trying to grab her. They both hit the floor without injury and laughed more as they crawled into each other's arms.

For a moment, Max drew a parallel to Kate falling now and being on the roof, but she put the thought in the back of her mind as they calmed down and were just staring into each other's eyes. She kissed her girlfriend and the dark memories were completely removed from her thoughts as she focused on the lips that pressed against her own, on the hand that went over the side of her body to caress her and their legs that intertwined naturally, as always.

"We're never getting up off the floor, are we?" Max asked.

"Probably not," Kate replied.

"That's okay," Max said with a contented sigh.

"Except that we should probably get ready..."

"I guess so..." Max said reluctantly.

They both stood up and the brunette walked over to her bag. She retrieved her camera for the morning picture, trying not to think about her nightmare. Max still found herself holding the device contemplatively, but scowled at it before turning back towards her girlfriend. Kate was grabbing her things for a shower and the the freckled girl said, "Hey, heart," causing the blonde to swivel her head to Max and she snapped a shot.

"I wasn't ready!" Kate playfully whined.

"That was the point," Max said, smiling.

"I hope it turned out okay. I probably have a ridiculous face."

"I'm sure it's beautiful, like always," Max said as she shook the photo. "Now what I'd like to know is if I'm ever going to be taking a picture of _all_ of you."

Kate looked bashfully at Max, but then, biting her lip, came over and put her arms around her girlfriend.

"Is that what you want?" she asked.

"Just...curious," Max said, looking down.

"Well...I guess no one could hack them and spread it around..." Kate said, bringing their faces closer together.

"Solid reasoning," Max, turning her head upward with a slowly increasing breath.

"I guess we should shedule that some time..." Kate said and their heads slowly turned for the kiss that they both knew was coming.

"Yeah..." Max breathed and then they were suddenly in a passionate kiss that grew and became more and more kisses. Hands groped and tongues found each other and then Kate pulled back. Out of breath, just as Max was, she said, "We're so bad..."

"I know...I like it," Max said and kissed her once more.

"Me too," Kate said after their lips parted. "But let's get ready and go. I'll see you in the showers..." she said with a mischievous smile. The blonde suddenly grabbed her things and was out the door.

Max put the photo in the album and slowly gathered her things, wondering why Kate said it that way, then picked up her pace to catch up to her girlfriend. She made it out the door not seeing anyone and hoped she would be as lucky when she entered the showers. Max opened the door and looked in and saw no one, not even Kate. She heard her voice though.

"Em?" her voice called from a shower stall.

"Yeah, it's me," Max said. She then walked over toward her voice, looking into each stall until she saw Kate standing in a shower, completely naked. The brunette dropped her bag and her eyes poured over her girlfriend's nude body. She had briefly glimpsed her upper half in all its glory, but this was the first time she had seen below. Taking it all in at once stunned her speechless. She noticed that Kate shaved and found herself shifting stares between down to the delicate area below and the perky points above.

"I hope you took a mental picture. Have an inspired shower..." Kate said, grinning at the frozen expression on her girlfriend and closed the curtain.

This snapped Max out of her shocked state. She breathed a barely audible, "Wowzers..." and thought how Kate had returned the tease of earlier without even touching her. Her mind continued to picture the blonde as she slowly went into the adjacent shower.

They continued the same routine as before and their moans soon filled the steaming showers, gradually increasing in intensity until their mutual climaxes, followed rapidly by more until both were satisfied. Kate urged her on, but the freckled girl felt too shy to speak. She hoped, when the time came, she could talk so confidently like Kate during their intimate moments. Max wondered if tonight would be the night where they made each other come, not just indirectly, but physically. She felt more than ready to try something, but wasn't sure she was ready for everything yet. She tried to focus on their tea time for now.

Kate sang the same song afterwards and Max thought it odd that it was something they just never talked about. It just...was. There was something special about leaving it like that and she didn't want to take away from it by drawing attention to it. Max wouldn't risk breaking the spell that surrounded the song and brought her to another place where it felt like she and Kate were the only people that existed in the world.

Once they both had finished their shower, they made their way back, again as before, first peaking out with giddy nervous grins. Seeing no one, they ran back to the room and quickly shut the door when inside.

Max leaned over to hold Kate gently by her hips, gently pushing her against the door and said, "I guess what you meant was I'll see _you _in the showers."

Kate smiled mischievously and said, "Yeah, I guess so," as she put her arms around the other before planting a gentle kiss on the brunette's lips. Kate knew if they had not just given themselves release, the kiss would have kept going and led to any number of things afterwards.

Max suddenly looked apprehensive before nervously saying, "Just so you know, for later, uh...whenever that is...I...well, I don't um...shave...down there." She hastily added, "I keep it very trimmed, but...yeah." Her head dipped down.

Kate smiled reassuringly and caressed her girlfriend's back as she said, "Oh Em, my love, don't worry about all that. As long as it's not so crazy that I can't find my way to...to um, where I want to go, I don't really care. Actually, if I'm down there I probably wouldn't ever complain at all." Still seeing concern on Max's face, as the brunette looked to the side, Kate put her hand under the freckled girl's chin and turned her head back towards herself and upwards to meet her compassionate gaze.

"Em, I love you however you are, and when the time comes, I'll want you. I promise."

"I know...I'm just...being insecure..."

"For no reason though, you'll see," Kate said and tenderly held Max's face as she gave her a gentle kiss. The brunette sighed as they separated.

"Okay, I'm ready to get ready," she said. "I'll be right back."

Kate smiled and the other left the room as they began choosing their outfits for the day. Max came back in with a light brown shirt and black jeans, with a gray jacket left open. She was on her phone and told Kate that it looked like rain, but that there probably wouldn't be any until tomorrow.

The blonde was putting on Max's green parka that she had claimed as her own and below, still her usual long skirt and leggings. She smiled as she put her hands out and said, "I'll be ready either way."

"Did I tell you how I love you in my clothes?" Max said, still with some nasally tones.

"Yes," the blonde replied smiling, knowing Max was just saying it to compliment her and get Kate to continue wearing her things, but she needed no encouragement. She loved it.

"Hey..." Kate began. "I know we both don't want to, but we probably should bring some homework with us. I'm sure we're both way behind."

Max sighed and bent over in exaggeration exhaustion, letting her arms hang. "Okay..." she said from this position and then straightened herself up. They both grabbed their laptops and stuck them in their respective messenger bags.

"Let's also pick up some meds on our way there, for both of us," Kate added.

"Now _that's_ something I'm fully onboard for. I'm going to need _something_ if I have to think that hard to get actual work done. Thank dog you suggested it. It's like I forgot we live in a modern society."

"Us sickies have to take care of each other," Kate said and put out her hand which Max took with a smile. They walked out together and Kate held her girlfriend's arm. The brunette glanced at her, not dwelling much about her own health now and just thinking how lucky she was to be with this beautiful girl.

_In_ _sickness and in health..._Maxthought_. _

She couldn't help but picture Kate in a wedding dress and how gorgeous she would look in it with her hair all done up.

Kate saw her far off stare and asked, "What are you thinking, love?"

Max recovered quickly after being caught and said, "Nothing," and looked away, but then back at the blonde with a smile. Kate returned it with a smile of her own that showed her suspicion, but said nothing.

They reached the car and were soon on their way.


	41. Chapter 41

After picking up some medication for their sickness, the girls drove down to Kate's favorite place for tea, The Green House. Ths blonde was definitely the bigger fan of the drink, but Max agreed with her girlfriend that this was the best place in town for tea. In the front there was a decently sized green building, but connected to the structure, hidden on the other side was a small, but real green house. Inside it was sectioned off into two areas. The first, closest to the building, gave access to customers to come in and enjoy, while in the back, an employees-only area held plants used for some of their teas. This is what made it popular, especially with the hipster tea snobs.

Max parked the car and got out, swiftly coming around to get the door for Kate. As she came out, the blonde said, "I feel like a dainty flower whenever you do this..." said with some amusement showing in her expression.

"You're definitely _beautiful_ as a flower, but you're way more than just a pretty face," the brunette said, feeling herself sliding into cliché and banal territory, but meaning every word.

"Well, still, you're going to get tired of doing that someday," Kate said, smiling as Max helped her out.

When the blonde was out and the door closed behind her, Max held her girlfriend by her hips and drew her closer, saying, "Tired of treating my heart like she deserves? I don't think so," and leaned in to kiss her.

Kate put her hands up to hold the freckled girl's cheeks as their lips met. She pulled back slightly, resting their foreheads together a moment with her eyes half closed, then went back in for three more kisses that grew in passion, but they didn't let themselves get carried away.

"It's like chips..." Kate said with a sigh.

"Huh? Oh..." Max said, taking a moment to realize what she meant.

"Yeah, one is never enough. I just want more and more..." Kate said as she rubbed their noses together for some Eskimo kisses.

"I love how corny you are sometimes."

"You'll love me even more soon when I'm..." Kate said as her voice trailed off to a whisper in Max's ear.

The brunette only slightly blushed, getting used to Kate's forwardness. Max said, "Even _that's_ corny!"

"You like it..." Kate said with some cockiness.

"I do...I like when you're both..." Max said, sucking in her lower lip for a moment.

"Oh, _I_ know..." Kate said, looking at her girlfriend seductively and leaned in to say, "So, tonight...do you want it husked or unhusked?"

Max's eyes widened and then Kate laughed. The blonde said, "You know I'm kidding, right?"

The freckled girl now smiled as she brushed aside a strand of the blonde's hair behind her ear and trailed her fingers down her jaw to her neck, she said, "I think...you're capable of anything." She was being part playful and part serious.

Kate smiled, understanding her dual meaning and gave Max a sweet kiss. "Don't you forget it," she said after their lips parted and winked. "Now come on, my tea's calling!"

Kate pulled her forward and they walked inside, hand in hand. As the doors closed behind them, the blonde said, "Let's get a water to drink these pills down. I've never done it, but I don't think I'd be a fan of taking DayQuil with a gulp of tea."

"Downing pills with a hot drink does sound pretty gross," Max said, knowing neither would be getting a cold tea.

There was just one person ahead of them, a young college aged woman who was fairly attractive. As the girl dropped a dollar in the tip jar, Max thought how her gaze would usually linger on a cute girl like this one, or even would cause her to give a second glance, wondering what the chances were that the person was gay, not that she would have the nerve to talk to them even if she _did_ know. It didn't matter now though. She had her person, she didn't need to look anymore. Max didn't even have the desire. The only reason she thought about the woman ahead of them for more than a second was because of the confirmation it gave to her of her own contentment. It was an unnecessary affirmation of her commitment to Kate, but it felt good to think about.

The girl left, so they went up and Kate ordered a chamomile tea and a water. As an afterthought, she added a couple pastries. She turned and looked to Max, saying, "This will be breakfast, I guess. Go ahead, love," implying she was paying.

"Aww, no, it's okay."

"Just let me be your sugar momma right now, please?" Kate said playfully as she put an arm around her and drew her close.

Max turned a little bashful as the barista smiled at their affection. "Okay," she said shyly. The brunette remembered the time when she thought _she_ herself would be the confident one in public when they were together. She never counted on how assertive Kate would be with her when she finally had nothing holding her back. It thrilled her though. Max felt loved.

The brunette parted from Kate to approach the counter. As she started to order her chai tea, Max felt the blonde's arms wrap around her from behind. She was momentarily surprised and smiled nervously as the barista watched, grinning, but saying nothing.

Once Max was done, the barista said, "Your drinks will be out soon," then added, "I'm sorry, but I have to say, you two are really cute together."

"Thanks," Kate happily replied. Max just gave her own appreciative smile.

The barista handed Kate her receipt and they stepped to the side to wait for their drinks to appear at the counter. They let their bags rest on the floor against the counter's wall.

The blonde put her arms around Max once again, but this time facing forward. The freckled girl did the same.

Kate said, "Did you hear? We're cute together," she said smiling.

"I already knew that," Max returning her smile.

"It's nice to hear though, right?" Kate seemed a little serious now.

"Yeah, it is," Max agreed. She knew Kate meant that it was nice to be accepted. The brunette believed that Kate would still act the same either way, but right now, this was something Kate needed.

A little bit later, their drinks were out and they took them with their bags to a low table in the corner of the room, sitting in the adjacent love seat. Each took a DayQuil, passing the water to each other.

Kate looked at her phone and said, "Looks like we have a little less than two hours."

"Enough to do something, I guess." Max pulled out her laptop and set it on the table. She stared at it glumly for a second, then huffed out a sigh and opened it up. Again, she just stared at it.

The blonde noticed and gave a slight frown. She put her hand on the freckled girls thigh and said, "Looks like my love needs some motivation." Kate paused in thought and then said, "How about this..." as she leaned in close to put her lips near her girlfriend's ear to say, "For every assignment you finish, I'll..." ending her sentence so quietly Max could barely hear it. She definitely did though and her wide eyes let Kate know it.

Sitting back up, Kate asked, "Does that work?"

"Y-yeah...when? Tonight...?"

Not sure if she was just being shy, or if Max had real reservations, Kate half teasingly, half seriously questioned, "Did you want to wait longer?"

Max pursed her lips and shook her head.

Kate smiled. "Good. I want what you promised me." She slid her hand meaningfully up the brunette's thigh.

Max's first reaction in her head was to close her legs, but found herself slightly parting them. The blonde glanced at her pleasingly.

"Yeah...you'll be ready...Okay, let's see how many you can do then," Kate said and removed her hand from her leg.

Max smiled sheepishly and said, "I would have graduated early if I had this kind of motivation before."

Kate just grinned and began taking out papers from her bag. The two began work with laptops on laps and fingers typing away. Their hands busy, the two played footsie now and then, only distracting each other for brief periods of time. After the first few minutes, Kate said, "If you need any help, just let me know."

"Believe me, if I need help, I'll ask you. I'll ask every person in here if I have to..."

The blonde smiled and they continued working taking sips of their drinks in between. By the end of their time, Max had completed almost three assignments.

Looking over her girlfriend's work, Kate said, "Good job, love. You almost got three done...hmm, so how about this...since you really tried hard for three, so will I."

Max blushed and looked around, but no one was paying attention to them. She looked back to Kate and timidly said, "Uh...sounds good to me..."

"Okay, good. So, let's pack up now. I should get going," Kate said as she closed her laptop.

Max put her things away and then they were both ready to leave. As they walked out, Kate asked, "So how are you feeling now?"

Max shrugged and said, "I still feel like I have a little bit of a headache, but I feel cleared up. I bet I have it deep in there still. What about you?"

"Aww, sorry, love," Kate said frowning and taking her hand. "I'm doing better right now I think. I've had more time to get over it, so you probably still have a couple more days at least. My poor, Em."

"I'll be okay," Max said, trying to brush off how bad she really felt.

"You'll be okay because I'm going to take care of you. Maybe you should take something more...let's just be careful about mixing meds and not giving you too much of the same active ingredient."

"Doctor Katie, my personal physician."

"I don't know that much...but I can be your nurse."

"Nurse? I like that..." Max said smiling suggestively as they reached the car.

After they placed their bags in the back, Kate asked, "Should I get an outfit?" grinning as she gently pinned the brunette against the car, hands on Max's hips.

"I wouldn't complain..."

Across the parking lot, a young man from a group of guys hollered at them and the rest laughed or whistled. Max leaned to the side to see around Kate and narrowed her eyes, finding them in the distance. Once spotted, she put out her middle finger and sneered at them.

Before Max could shout at the group, Kate said, "Forget about them, love," Kate said and held her face as she gently kissed the brunette, but it was chaste and brief. The young men gave some obnoxious cheers, but their voices slowly grew distant and Kate kept her eyes locked on Max's as she said, "They don't matter. It's just noise. They'll be gone soon...okay?"

Max nodded, becoming calmer and looked down, a little embarrassed at how upset she got so quickly. The brunette wanted to blame the headache, but knew it was no excuse. Part of her knew she was channeling Chloe. Max felt guilty for it. She felt her head gently lifted up by her chin and saw Kate's compassionate stare as she looked up. It made her feel even more shameful for it and the blonde once again gently held Max's cheeks she leaned in and tenderly pressed their lips together.

"Your lady is ready," Kate said after the kiss and smiled as she went to the passenger side. Max knew her girlfriend used the term to let her know she would wait for the brunette to open the door, which she did and closed once she was inside. Max shook off the thoughts of Chloe, but felt bad for that too, thinking of what Steph said about her deserving to be remembered. Nothing felt right, but she just had to move on from the moment.

_I'm sorry, Chloe. You would have really told those guys to fuck off, or maybe you would have laughed it off and gave them a thumbs up, or the devil horns...yeah...that would have been better..._

Max made herself stop dwelling on it and think of other things.

As they drove to Kate's appointment, Max could tell something was bothering her girlfriend.

"Katie? Are you okay?" Max said, trying to glance at her while still watching the road.

"No..I just realized I need to find a new therapist."

"But why?"

"I want to talk about...what happened...I want to talk about _you_, but I can't."

"Why n-" Max stopped herself as she recalled what Kate said, which the blonde again reminded her.

"She's a Christian therapist. A _very_ Christian therapist." She paused, seeming distressed and then appeared to have another thought. She slowly said, "I think...they'll still be paying...I think they're counting on me going. I'd bet anything that my mom," but she stopped, becoming choked up and forced herself to say, "...or even my dad, called her and told her everything. I'm going to find out." Her mood shifted to determination and she added, "This might be a really short session. So, you might not want to go far."

Max put her hand on Kate's and asked, "Do you want me to come in with you? Not in the room, but I mean in the building?"

The blonde's face softened before she replied, "It's okay, love. When we get there, just stay in the car and be ready to go, if that's okay?"

"Of course, whatever you want," Max quickly said.

"Thank you," Kate said softly, seeming a little nervous.

Max tried to sooth her with caresses and distract her with small talk, but soon enough they were there. After they parked, Kate let out a long breath and said, "It's early, but I'm going in now. I can't wait. I know we just got here, but I already feel like I'm losing my mind just...sitting."

"I get it, heart," Max said and held the blonde's hand. "I'll be right here," she added and gently squeezing her hand.

"Thanks, beautiful," Kate said leaning across to quickly kiss the brunette and then opened her door. After she was outside the car, the blonde looked back in and said, "I love you, Em."

"Love you, Katie."

After a shared smile, Kate closed the door and walked swiftly toward the building.

Max waited anxiously, not sure how to occupy herself. She started browsing random things on her phone until the site she was on was replaced by a call from Vi.

Picking up the call, the brunette said, "Hey, Mamma Vi. What's going on?"

"Maxie! What are you doing right now?" the older girl cheerfully asked.

"Waiting for Kate."

"You're not actually with her? Everything okay?" Vi teased.

"Ha ha...very funny, Vi."

"Thanks, but I'm guessing it's based on truth."

"Whatever," Max grumbled.

"I know my baby gays."

Max sighed and admitted, "Yes, you do..." She again asked, "So...what's going on?"

"I know this is last minute, but you two want to come over to our practice today? I wanted to see if Kate could add a part to this one song...and I think I even have a part for you too in another."

Max felt flattered, but said, "I don't know...I don't really know what I'm doing..."

"Fuck, Maxie, neither do I, but people keep giving us gigs for some reason. But I heard you, I know what you can do, and I think you'll be great."

"Still..."

"If it makes you feel better, I can tell you it's a really simple part. You just need to learn it by tomorrow for the show."

"Tommorow!? Hellz to the no..."

"Oh come on, Maxie. Don't be a pussy, you can do this!" After a moment of silence, she added, "Okay, fine. Just come and try it and if you feel ready then you play tomorrow, but if not, then you don't have to, deal?"

"I guess that's fine..." Max reluctantly agreed.

"Fuck yeah! Maxie and angel, honorary Screw Ups."

"We'll see...I still have to ask Kate."

"Sure, sure. Understood...well, can you get here in about an hour?"

"Maybe...chances are...yes."

"Well, you know how to get there. We practice at my place, as always."

"Hey, um...do Liz and Roly know about this?"

"Fuck yeah they do. I showed them a video of you playing that night with those two songs. They loved it. Roly practically wept. Big fucking baby."

"Really?"

"Shit yeah, Maxie. I know I can be over the top, but I am being straight with you that they liked what they heard and they are _totally_ cool with you and Kate playing with us."

"Well, okay then."

"Awesome. This will actually make it easier getting you in. You can come in the back with the rest of the band. They don't really check us. So...we're set?"

"Yeah. I'll let you know when we're on our way."

"Fuck yeah, bitches! Peace!"

The phone was suddenly silent. Max looked at it and realized Vi had hung up. She put her cell down and smiled, thinking about the older girl's energetic spirit. Then she got nervous imagining playing in front of others, which was tough enough when doing her own thing, but now there was the added pressure not to fail the band. Also, one day to learn a song sounded impossible to her, but she would try.

A few minutes later, Max saw Kate coming from the office building. She seemed upset, but more angry than sad. The brunette came out of the car and watched the blonde with concern as she came near. She didn't have to ask what happened.

When she was in earshot, Kate said, as she closed the gap, "I was right. She admitted it...I'll give her that, but...that's it. I can't see her anymore."

Max put her arms out and the blonde walked into them, letting her girlfriend hold her as she seethed, at least as much as Kate Marsh can.

"It's okay now, you never have to see her again," Max said caressing her back.

"But what am I going to do? I can't afford to pay for anyone myself and I'm not asking your parents to pay for that, so please don't ask."

She _was_ thinking it. "Okay, heart. We'll think of something..." Max decided to distract her and said pulled back to say, "Hey...Vi called. Want to go see them practice for the show tomorrow?"

It took a moment for Kate to shift her mood, as she paused in thought, but she said, "Yeah...that sounds fun, actually."

"Now what about practicing _with_ them?" Max asked, watching Kate's surprised reaction come out.

"What?"

"She asked you before, remember? But now she wants us both to play with them in two different songs...for the show...tomorrow."

Kate stared at her blankly then said, "That's crazy."

"I know, but she said if we don't feel comfortable about playing tomorrow that she wouldn't hassle us about it. I said I'd try practicing today with them...what do you think?"

"Hmm...yeah...I guess we can try."

"Let's go grab your violin and my guitar and head over then," Max said, feeling a little excited now to play with Vi and the band.

"I'll feed Alice too. Who knows how long they practice."

"Yeah, I didn't ask, but she wanted us there in...I guess in about forty five minutes."

"Let's go then! You know I've become dependent on you to open doors for me, so come on!" Kate joked.

"Of course, my lady," Max said and walked around to open the passenger side door. Kate entered and a minute later they were out of the parking lot.

After a bathroom break and a visit with Alice, they had their instruments and were on their way to Vi's.

"I never play anything without sheet music. How am I going to just make it up?" Kate asked worriedly.

"You just try and see. That's how I make my music. If _I_ can make halfway decent songs, you'll be amazing, I'm sure."

Kate smiled at Max, feeling the sincerity of her reassurance. It felt good when someone believed in you, especially when it was the girl you loved.

They reached their destination and Max gave Kate's hand a squeeze and a loving look, followed by a kiss.

They stayed close after, faces still touching with their eyes closed, lips just grazing each other.

Kate said, "I think I need a million more kisses before we go in."

Max smiled and softly said, "Any excuse, right?"

"I don't need an excuse to kiss you. It's always the right time," and kissed Max again once, then again, but surprising the brunette as she felt Kate's tongue slip inside and continue kissing her intensely for a few seconds before stopping, out of breath.

"Okay, I think I'm good for now," Kate said smiling, then said, "Well, one more," and gave Max a firm kiss and sighed out some anxiety as she parted from her and left the car, not waiting for the brunette to open the door.

Max took a second to collect herself and then exited the car. They both grabbed their respective instruments and walked to the small building where the band assumingly was waiting for them.

After knocking on the door, it was immediately opened and Vi was standing in front of them on a crutch with a wide grin and said, "My babies! Looking cute as ever and now...ready to jam!"

"We will definitely try," Kate said.

"No Steph?" Max asked.

"Nah, sucks...she'd be pretty distracting though. But she'll be there tomorrow."

"I'm sure she'll love seeing you play."

"Yeah, I can't wait! So...as I might have said, I've been dying to work with a real violinist. It being my baby on top of that...too perfect. Come on in. You're early, but so were these guys. I have no idea why Liz was on time for once."

"Hey..." they heard Liz complain from the back. As they came in she said, "Okay, we'll that's fair actually. Hey guys." She was holding a guitar and adjusting some effect pedals while kneeling down.

Roland was sitting at his drums and smiled with a nod to them.

Kate waved and Max said, "Hey Liz, hey Roland, er, uh Roly."

"Whichever you prefer," he said cracking his fingers one at a time.

Vi led them over to where she wanted them to be and said, "We'll start with the song I need Max for, which is not too crazy. You'll get it quick, I know it. It's short and simple. Liz will show you."

The girls sat down on low wooden shelves that Vi indicated were their seats for now, as they would be standing soon.

Liz put her instrument down and came over to Max. She asked, "Mind if I use yours?"

"Oh, sure. No problem," the brunette said and happily handed over her guitar. Liz strummed it and then took a moment to tune it before nodding to Vi who looked to Max.

The older girl said, "This one's called _Caught_. We're playing the whole thing, but you'll see your part is just for the intros, so not much to worry about. Before you say anything after we play, I know this doesn't sound like us in the beginning, but no motherfucking expectations are going to box me in. Besides, experimenting is what got me where I am today." Not waiting for a reply, she looked to Roland and nodded as she said, "Okay," and they started playing.

Max paid close attention to Liz and soon saw that they weren't exaggerating. It was a very small and simple part that Max believed she could do if she practiced enough today. They stopped right after the beginning part and Liz asked if she wanted to see it again.

"If you don't mind," Max said. "Actually, Katie, could you take a video so I can look at it to practice?"

"Of course," Kate said cheerfully and took Max's phone.

Vi said, "No problem. Let's do it three more times, okay guys?"

The others nodded and they went through it three more times, again stopping after the guitar part was over. Liz then handed Max back her guitar. She took a deep breath and saw the older girl was looking at her, making sure she was ready. Max nodded and the song began again. It was a little rough, but she played most of the right notes.

"Not bad, Maxie my girl. You're starting to pick it up pretty quick. See guys, told you she had the chops."

"For the record, we never said anything to doubt you," Liz said after stepping a little closer to Max, and giving an annoyed look to the band leader.

Vi said, "Okay, fine, but I'm still her number one supporter," then looked at Kate, adding, "Besides angel over here," and gave a wink.

They played it a few more times, and Max slowly but surely improved.

After the last one, Max said, "I think I'll practice it outside, so you guys can do your other songs. Or is the next song with Kate?"

"You guessed it, Maxie the medium. You'll want to stay for this, I'm sure."

"Of course," Max said smiling at her girlfriend who was looking more than a little nervous. She went up to the blonde and put an arm around her waist, leaning into whisper, "You got this, but if you're not feeling it, just remember there's no pressure to do it. Okay?"

Kate nodded and let out the breath she was holding in and then Max kissed her cheek, making her smile. The brunette sat down on the shelf unit to watch. Kate got out her violin and bow and said to the band, "Ready when you guys are," nodding to Vi.

The older girl said, "Just listen first and then see if you get any ideas and we'll do it again. This one's called _Distress_ _Beacon_ _Unanswered_. We're being all serious and cryptic and shit with our titles these days. Nothing like _Fucked_ _Up_ _Again_. We gotta watch out about taking ourselves too seriously. It's a fucking slippery slope. Well, anyways..."

She proceeded to nod to the others and started the song. Kate watched and listened carefully, moving her head in a slight nodding motion, as of confirming something to herself.

Click here to listen to Distress Beacon Unanswered

After they finished, Vi asked Kate, "Ready, or want to hear it again?"

The blonde nodded confidently and said, "I'm ready."

Vi seemed a little surprise and looked at the others with a shrug and nodded to them to let them know she was going to start the song again.

After a few seconds, Kate jumped in and while it was nothing overly technical, it sounded flawless as if it had always been part of the song.

The band were giving pleased glances at each other, all seeming to like what Kate was adding to the song.

When it was over, Vi said, "I knew this song needed you. Shit! That was quick, angel. It's like you knew exactly what to play. See guys, that's why you get a mother fucking classically trained musician in your band." She looked over to Kate, suddenly seeming uncertain about what she said and Kate nodded. Vi quickly continued, saying, "Yeah, fucking classically trained."

Liz sighed and said, "Again, for the record, we never said anything to doubt her."

"Yeah, yeah, sure, sure," Vi said, waving her hand to shew away the other's words. She then said, "Okay, let's do it a few more times. You seem to have it down already, but I want to hear it again!"

"Yeah, I'd like a little more practice," Kate said, smiling, still bashful at the praise she received.

They played the song again a few more times as Vi said and Kate was still solid in her performance. After this, Max went outside with her to practice her own part in the other song. She played several times and eventually felt comfortable and went back in to watch the others. They practiced for quite a while and eventually Vi ordered pizza and when it came they took a break.

Max thought they were going to be done after that, but Vi said it was just a break.

"Remember, we have to be on point to stay ironic. You two okay to hang with us for a few more hours?"

Max looked to Kate who nodded. "No problem, Vi. It's fun watching you guys play. It's like a private show."

"Not my usual definition of a private show, but glad you enjoy hearing the same songs over and over again. At least they're different from the last show. If we get the same crowd, which we probably will since most aren't there for us, then they won't get bored of the same music. They get to ignore all _new_ music."

Kate said, "I'm sure people like it. I don't really show how much I enjoy other people's playing unless everyone is clapping. Some people don't like to stand out..."

"Yeah, I don't get that," Vi said with a small shrug. "I know what you're saying, but I don't get that...anyways, let's start it up again."

They again played through their planned set several times, taking breaks in between. They started eating the leftover pizza as dinner. When the sun had been down for a while, Vi was finally satisfied.

"Fucking awesome job you guys. All of you," she added looking to Max and Kate. "I'll see you two tomorrow. Be ready to rock the shit out of those motherfuckers."

Kate said, "That sounds kind of gross."

"You can literally make them shit if you want, that's up to you," Vi said with a broad grin as she put an hand on Kate's shoulder, using her a little as support.

"Um...no, that's okay," Kate replied.

Liz and Roland came over. Roland said, "Don't stress about tomorrow, you'll be fine. And just think, if you mess up, no one will probably be paying attention anyways."

Liz elbowed him and Vi said, "He's right though." Liz smiled and shook her head. They all exchanged hugs and grabbed their instruments before saying their last goodbyes.

Max and Kate made their way back to Blackwell and soon had the same thing on their minds. The brunette felt Kate take her hand from hers and slip it onto her thigh. She partially froze, keeping her eyes on the road, but biting her lip as her girlfriend slid her hand upward to the highest and most inner part of her thigh without touching anything more. Her hips twitched, her body dying to be fully touched. Kate slid her hand back and forth in the crease between her leg and above, sensually torturing the brunette until they finally reached the campus.

As soon as they parked, Max lunged over and kissed Kate, a little more eager than she intended. The blonde returned the kiss for a few seconds, but then said between kisses, "Let's...get...inside..." Max forced herself to stop and nodded. She practically kicked her door open and slammed it shut before running around to get to Kate's side. After opening her door, Max grabbed her girlfriend's hand and swung the door shut with the other. The two walked at a brisk pace to the dorms. They shared a few meaningful glances along the way.

When they got inside Kate's room, Max shut the door as quickly as possible without making noise and the two were on each other the next moment. They instantly renewed the passionate kissing that they started in the car. Kate put her hands on Max's face and the brunette held the blonde's hips at first, but did not linger long before grabbing Kate's behind, taking a cheek in each hand with a firm grip.

Kate broke away from Max's lips to say, "Bed?" before renewing their kisses and then felt the brunette guiding them towards it, both kicking off their shoes as they still held each other. When Max had backed Kate up to the end of the bed, she crawled backwards and, like before, Max stayed with her as best she could. When they were both in bed, they wrapped their bodies around each other and continued kissing.

Putting a hand on Max's chest to stop her, Kate said, "Lay down, love."

Max's heart pounded even faster and she paused a moment to process her request. She nodded before trading places with the blonde. Before Max could lay down, Kate put her arms around the freckled girl, and quietly said, "Hold on." She grabbed Max's shirt and as she pulled up, Max put her arms up to allow it to be taken off. She looked a little bashfully at Kate who slipped her hands around her again to expertly unhook her bra. Kate helped her slip it off. Now Max was bare chested in front of her, waiting excitedly in antipication at what her girlfriend would do next. The blonde did not touch her yet, though her eyes were locked below Max's head before she swiftly took off her own shirt, followed by her bra. Kate held the freckled girl's face as she guided her down, bringing their lips together once again. The blonde supported herself with one hand while the other lightly traced down Max's side. It then came forward and just when she thought she would feel fingers touching her breast, they moved in another direction. Kate wasn't touching her chest at all, and it was driving the brunette insane.

After a few seconds, Kate moved her lips down to kiss Max's neck, and so the freckled girl turned her head to allow more access. Then she felt it: Kate's hand move up and forward to cup her left breast. She moaned at the touch. The blonde's fingers lightly held the nipple and her thumb brushed across the tip. Max's hips slightly lifted and then Kate began to move down from her neck, making a trail of kisses until her lips replaced her hand and the brunette's hips rose high as she felt a tongue rake across her nipple.

"Oh god..." Max moaned out loud.

Kate then took the breast deeper into her mouth, the areola disappearing as she sucked. Max moaned even louder and when she felt Kate move a hand to grope her other breast. The brunette couldn't take it anymore and said, "Katie...please..."

Kate's lips smacked off Max's breast and she asked, "Please what, Em?" smiling wickedly.

Max knew she would have to say it before Kate stopped teasing her, so she did. "Please...touch me..."

"Touch you where?"

She really wanted to hear her say it, Max thought, so she shakily said, "Touch my...mmm..." She lost her words as Kate took her other breast into her mouth and sucked it too.

"Touch my pussy, Katie, please..." she begged.

"Are you sure..."

"Oh god, yes! Please..."

"My pleasure..." she said seductively after removing her mouth for a moment, but then licked the nipple again before sucking at the breast one more time. She then crawled down Max's body. She kissed her way down and then unbuttoned her pants. After unzipping Max, Kate took a hold of the belt loops and the brunette lifted up to allow her pants to be slipped off, surprised to feel her panties removed as well. The blonde pulled off the clothing that bunched up at the bottom of Max's legs and threw the tangled mess to the floor.

The freckled girl was completely exposed now and began to feel selfconscious. She started to close her legs a little, but Kate held them still and said, "Don't move, love. You're beautiful."

Her vulnerable feelings were still there, but hearing Kate's words made it okay. She felt a little better too when the blonde moved back up and started kissing around her right breast before suckling again. Kate then brought her hand down and held it just above her girlfriend's mound. Fingers lightly raked through a thin layer of pubic hair.

Max could feel her body twitch at every movement. She looked across her body and saw Kate waiting for her approval. As she breathed more irregularly, Max gave a small but rapid nod, showing her eagerness and spread her legs more.

Kate went back to work on her breast with her mouth as her other hand went down and first cupped below, feeling the heat emanating from her center. The blonde's hand lifted up and Max's nectar stuck to her palm and fingers, already leaking out from the freckled girl's now slick area. It was easy to use it as lubrication to help slip a finger down past her lips and inside. She used her thumb and middle finger to pry her open more, to easily allow her index finger further into her heated depths. Max moaned loudly and thrust against Kate's hand.

After several thrusts inside of her, the blonde then brought her finger up to play with the freckled girl's sensitive nub, causing Max even more pleasure and she cried out, "Oh god, don't s-sto-op..."

Kate started slow, toying with it at first, watching the brunette twitch with every motion. She slowly worked to a steady rhythm and then built up her speed. Max's breathing became more erratic until she was climaxing loudly, while the blonde lightly teethed her nipple. After Max's body was done tensing up, she lay panting and saw her girlfriend remove her hand from her sensitive area to put it to her mouth and she sucked her own finger, drawing off all of Max's slick nectar. The brunette bit her lip, continuing to be turned on by everything Kate did. When the blonde started to move her head down though, the freckled girl grabbed her arm and said, "Um...I'm not...uh..."

Kate was surprised, but said, "Oh...not ready for that? That's okay, love," and went back up her body, placing her hand back on her mound, then slipped a finger back to flick her clit back and forth as she gave the more neglected breast her oral attention. Max quickly felt another orgasm take her and moaned out her pleasure. Kate moved up to kiss the brunette and after said, "One more...are you going to come for me again?"

Max nodded as she bit her lip.

"That's my girl," Kate said and kissed her again, this time slipping her tongue inside Max's mouth and it was a little faint now, but the brunette tasted herself for the first time.

Kate again moved down to kiss, suck, and nibble at Max's breasts as she continued to also finger her once more. She was quick to come and the blonde asked, "Again?" as she touched her again, but Max put a hand on her and said, "No...mmm...I would love it...but I...I want you to come...let's switch..."

Max already started helping the blonde out of her skirt and soon had her leggings off as well. The brunette didn't waste a moment and was on top of her kissing Kate as she brought up a hand and touched her soft breast. She played with the stiff nipple and no longer could wait for a taste. Dipping her head down, she took it into her mouth, forgetting to take it slow, still charged from her previous orgasms. She lowered a hand and found Kate's slit already slick and her hand was covered in it.

Max blurted out, "Oh Katie, you're so wet..."

"Mmm... for you Em..."

Max eagerly slipped her finger into the blonde, first inside of her just to feel what it was liked but then moved to play with her clitoris, making Kate moan and move against her hand. She built up speed and then panting girl said, "Keep going...I'm almost..."

Her climax came right after and Max knew it not just from the sounds she made, but how much more wet she had become. She paused a moment then continued her work on Kate.

The blonde said, "I love you, Em..."

"I love you, Katie..." Max said as her finger kept moving. "Now...come for me...come..."

Kate's face contorted with pleasure as another orgasm took her. She moaned and arched her back, then came down again, breathing heavily.

"One more..." Max said.

"You don't h-" Kate tried to say, but she was already lost in the feelings her clit sent through her body as Max continued to play with it, eagerly sucking at her breast. The brunette steadily flicked her finger back and forth until Kate once again came, almost screaming out her euphoric joy.

Max moved afterwards to lay with Kate, intertwining their bodies together. Sweat mixed and their come was slicked across each other's thighs as they held each other close. They didn't care about anything else at the moment, except to be together.

At first, they said nothing, but just quietly lay there, sometimes looking into each other's eyes. And one of those moments, Max noticed that Kate what is tearing up.

"Katie love, what's wrong?" Max said with growing concern.

The blonde's lips quivered when she was asked the question. She squeeked out, "Nothing," and shook her head. "I..." She sighed and started again, "There's a lot of h-horrible things going on, but...I'm so _happy_. I think I've never been so happy in my life, Em. I just love you so much...more than anything."

"I love you too, Katie. With every part of me," Max said with full sincerity. She didn't even have to try not to think about Chloe. Max was completely focused on Kate.

"I know...I know it." They shared a knowing look for a few silent moments.

When they realized they were still staring, both remember to breathe and Kate said, "We are a hot beautiful mess," Kate said with a happy sigh.

"I love it..." Max became contemplative and then looked guiltily at Kate. "I...I'm sorry I didn't..." Max said, turning away.

"It's okay, love. I'm not even thinking about it," Kate reassured her.

Looking back to the blonde, Max said, "But I really wanted you to, I just...think I was...overwhelmed? But next time, I think I'll be ready."

"I will definitely take that invitation," Kate said and gave Max a brief kiss.

"Did you want to go um..."

"Shower?" Kate correctly guessed.

"Yeah...do you?"

"Do _you_?"

"Well...is it weird that I don't?" Max asked, squeezing her eyes shut tight, afraid to see the blonde's reaction.

"Not really," she responded, to the surprise and relief of Max. Kate added, "Tomorrow of course, but right now I just..."

"Want tonight to last as long as possible?"

Kate smiled, loving that she knew exactly she was thinking seem to feel the same. The blonde replied, "Yeah...I'm not ready to erase it just yet."

"Me either."

"Or maybe we're just lazy," Kate joked.

"Why can't it be both?" Max playfully replied.

"It can be both," the blonde softly said and then sighed in contentment, which led to a yawn. This caused Max to yawn as well.

Max sweetly chided her, saying, "Look what you did. Kisses, not yawns," she sweetly commanded.

"Okay, only kisses..." Kate said, her voice fading. She slightly turned her head and puckered her lips while closing her eyes. Max closed the distance and gave her one tender kiss before reaching over to pull the covers over their bodies. She snuggled back in with Kate.

"See you at home," Max whispered and Kate gave a happy sigh, barely audible, before she drifted off to sleep.

Max's peace was broken by the thought of the almost certain return of the nightmare that plagued her. She prayed tonight would be different, but in her heart, she knew it wouldn't be. Max held Kate a little tighter and tried tell herself it would be okay. Her worries remained as sleep came, but when the brunette's first dream began, she happily saw the door to their future house and entered inside. She just wouldn't get to stay.


	42. Chapter 42

Max woke sobbing.

She was already sitting up and Kate had her hands on the brunette's shoulder and looked anguished as she rapidly spoke. Max couldn't comprehend her at first, then she became more awake and tried to hold back her tears.

"Max! Em! Max, Max!" the blonde shouted, trying desperately to get through to the other.

The freckled girl was still crying as she looked wide eyed around the room in confusion. Her eyes darted around and then back to Kate, as the blonde said, "Em!" once more.

Max's breathing was still ragged, but Kate had jolted the brunette out of her panic, delaying her tears for a moment until a pitiful whimper came out. Max shut her eyes as she slumped down into Kate's arms and continued weeping, but more calmly. She didn't even notice they were both still naked.

The blonde move her hands up and down the freckled girl's back as she tried to whisper reassurances to her, saying, "Shh, it's just a nightmare, I'm here, shh...you're okay, it's okay..." She kissed the side of the brunette's head over and over, but it did not instantly stop her tears as it did before.

After a minute more of crying as Kate continued her whispered reassurances and gentle caresses, Max was finally done. It was at this point she realized her head was pounding. She pulled back and took a moment to focus on Kate. When she did, the brunette saw the intense concern on her girlfriend's face. She wasn't just looking at her though, but a specific part of her face. Max touched under her nose felt a warm wetness. When she pulled it back to look at her hand, Max saw more than a little blood mixed with snot collected on her finger.

"Shit..."

"It was the worst I ever saw you..." Now Kate seemed about to cry herself. She shakily continued, stuttering, "Y-you kept s-saying you could s-see it, you could see in-inside." Max could tell Kate wanted to ask, but was too afraid.

Max wasn't sure she had much to say, but she tried to answer the in asked question, saying, "I only remember blackness...or emptiness, I'm not sure. I...was...in our house..." Her eyes looked distant as if she was trying to picture her dream. "Then I saw..."

Max looked over to her bag as she parted from Kate.

"No..." the blonde said with quiet dread.

She put a hand out, but did not grab Max as the brunette got off the bed, almost stumbling over the covers as she removed herself.

"Em, let's talk first...don't just..."

Max wasn't listening though. The brunette did pause a moment before reaching her bag, seeming to suddenly realize she was naked, but then she kept moving. She grabbed the camera, but it was stuck in the bag, caught partly behind something. Becoming frustrated, she screamed and violently shook the messenger bag until she was only holding the camera. It made her headache worse, but she didn't care. Now that she had it out, Max seemed to hesitate, but then she turned it to face herself and took a selfie. She said, "You don't have to be a part of it, I can still save you...if I need to..."

"Is that why you do this?" Kate looked heart broken. "I don't want you hurting for me..." She slipped out of the bed and stepped towards Max, but waited for her reponse before completely closing the gap.

"It's not doing anything to me...it's just a camera...just nightmares...fucking shitty nightmares..."

"But they're making you bleed again..."

"I'm probably just trying to rewind in my sleep or something, trying to save my dream self from whatever the fuck is going on...this real camera has nothing to do with it." The brunette stared at the device in her hand and decided she didn't want to hold it anymore, despite her words. She put it down on her bag that lay on the ground.

"Maybe..." Kate said and came up to Max. Seeing the freckled girl look up to her with a vulnerable expression that pained her. Her girlfriend seemed about to break down again. The blonde put her arms around her and Max's lip trembled as she was held tight, their naked bodies pressed closely together. She let out a long breath and seemed to be holding it together for now.

"Em..." No answer came, so she continued, "Will you at least talk to your therapist about it today? I know you can't talk about time travel, but maybe they can help talk you through it and you can get you to stop dreaming about it."

"I...I'll think about it." She was becoming more focused now on the feeling of Kate's nude body held close against her own.

Kate frowned. She didn't want to push Max, so she just nodded. Still holding the freckled girl, Kate then asked, "Your session isn't until this afternoon, right?"

Max hold her upper body back enough to look at her girlfriend and said, "Yeah, not until two, why?"

"Let's get out of here grab something to eat, then if you don't mind, get my phone number changed and visit Anne? But, if you're not up to it I understand completely. We can just stay in if you want. I can do all that another time. "

"What? No. It's fine. Of course we can see your sister. I'd love to see Anne."

Kate's neutral face that hid her true feelings gave way to a wide grin hearing Max's reply. "Thanks, love," she said and then gently guided the brunette to a side table by her hand. They passed by a mirror and Max saw herself and stopped their movement.

"I'm a fucking mess. Why didn't you tell me?" Max said, ending with a smile that let the blonde know that her girlfriend was starting to feel better.

"You're a beautiful mess, but that's why we're over here, to take care of it. Soon you'll just be beautiful again."

Max smiled at her. She would never get tired of hearing these kinds of things from Kate.

When they reached the table, blonde grabbed a tissue and then another, before turning back around. Max held her hand out, saying, "I can do it."

Kate call the tissues back, out of reach and wagged her other hand's index finger at Max.

"Uh, uh, ug, love. You're not the only one who knows how to take care of her girlfriend."

Max rolled her eyes, but inwardly loved how attentive Kate was being with her. She blonde moved a little closer and had a focused gaze on Max as she wiped at her face. The brunette wondered if they should have put on some clothes by now, but she would not complain. She had to stay still now and so couldn't help but stare at her girlfriend's naked body and the slight jostling of her breasts as she worked. Kate did not seem to notice and did not look disgusted at all as she cleaned Max up. She even broke away from her staring at the task at hand to give the brunette a small tender smile as she finished up.

"There," Kate said. She then leaned in and kissed Max. The brunette was not expecting it, but closed her eyes and returned this kiss.

Kate then said, "I'd kiss you no matter how messy you are, but we have tissues right here, so..."

"I get it," Max said smiling.

Kate grinned back, seeming happy that the freckled girl did not fault her for waiting to kiss her. She then came in close again, but this time kissed Max's cheek in an odd placement on the edge of her face.

"127," Kate said, explaining.

Max confused expression turned to a smile before she said, "How many to go?"

"I plan to get the rest tonight..." Kate said, coming in to plant their lips together again. She also held Max's face as their passion grew. The brunette put her hands on Kate's waist as she felt her tongue slip into her mouth. She naturally slipped her hands down and firmly cupped her behind. After a few more seconds, Max had to come up for air and Kate ended the kissing, seeming to sense it.

"Tonight..." Max breathed as they held each other.

Kate nodded and parted from her. Max smiled and turned around, but then felt Kate's hands wrap around her stomach, stopping her. The blonde's body then pressed up against her from behind. Max first felt the blonde's breasts against her back, but then noticed the other's hands working their way up until they delicately held her own perky breasts. Max took in a deep breath at the touch and Kate took both of her stiff nipples in her fingers. The blonde gently toyed with them and started kissing Max's neck. The brunette hummed with pleasure.

Max let out a moan when one of Kate's hands slipped down between her legs. The brunette felt her girlfriend's finger easily slip into her now slick center until it found her sensitive nub. Kate flicked her finger back and forth and Max could barely stand as she quickly came, giving one last loud moan.

Kate whispered, "I just wanted to do that for you. Don't worry about me. You can return the favor tonight."

Kate was so giving, Max thought, even in these intimate moments. She tried vainly to offer her the same pleasure, saying as she turned to face her, "Are you sure? I'd love to make you...um, feel good too."

They held each other again and Kate smiled, saying, "I told you, I'm fine. I just wanted to do that for you. You can make me come tonight. I already know you can. Maybe you can find a new way...if you're ready."

Max blushed. Kate just said it so easily. Feeling erotically charged from her recent orgasm, the brunette tried to participate in the seductive talk, saying, "Only if you're a good girl."

Kate said, "Then..." and started kissing Max's neck. She continued her sentence as she began kissing down the brunettes body: "...I'll..." Her lips traveled above her chest. "...be good..." The blonde worked her way around Max's nipple, sucking it once before moving down, making Max shudder. "...and do whatever..." Kate trailed kisses down Max's stomach. "...you tell me..." She reached the brunette's pelvis and was kissing her way ever closer to Max's ever slickening center. "...to do." Just as she finished her sentence, Kate stood up and added, "But for now, we have things to do! Let's get ready." She smiled wickedly and Max looked surprised and dissapointed, whining with frustration, "Katie!" She pouted and her girlfriend put her arms around her waist looking apologetic and gave her a kiss which Max reluctantly returned, still irked at being teased.

Kate pulled back to look at her as she said, "I don't know a lot about the art of seduction but, I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to leave you wanting more."

"I'm pretty sure now that you wrote the book, but there's nothing left to seduce you minx; I'm already completely yours and you know it." Max brought her face close to Kate's and quietly said, as she gently clutched at the blonde's back and rested her head on her, "You could have me anytime you wanted me..."

"What if I said I wanted you all the time?" Kate said, matching her hushed tone.

Max raised an eyebrow and said, "I'd say, what're you waiting for?"

"Hmm...delayed gratification. It's the best."

"I'm not so good at that."

"I'll teach you..."

"Do I have a choice?"

"Not really," Kate said, smiling.

"Does that mean you want me to be good in the showers?"

"Yes, Em. This time, we'll both be good."

Max whined, "But I was already counting on more um...fun in there..."

"I'll make it worth the wait tonight."

Max sighed and said, "Okay...fine...let's hurry up and get this over with."

"You'll be okay," Kate said and kissed the brunette's nose. She followed it up with a pinch on Max's behind.

"Hey!" Max said, still smiling about it.

"Sorry. That little tush is hard to resist." She feigned a look of innocence and said, "Let's get some clothes on and get in there to take them off." After a wink, she turned to walk away and Max took the opportunity to swiftly spank her girlfriend, stopping her before she spun around and grinned at the freckled girl's misheviousness. She wagged her finger and knew Max was staring at her nude body, now far away enough to be fully seen by the brunette.

"I like being naked..." Kate began as she went to her shirts to select one.

"I like you being naked too," Max chimed in, following her over. She folded her arms over her chest though to hide her own breasts.

"...but I don't think you can handle me being bare skinned all the time," the blonde said, turning back to look at Max with a slight smirk as she spoke.

"I guess...yeah...my ovaries would probably explode," Max said scrunching her mouth to the side and looking away,

Kate put her hand to her mouth and stifled a giggle.

"Oh, Em...I just love you," she said with a happy sigh. She finally pulled out a white shirt and rehung the hanger.

Max realized she didn't have to say it back. Kate knew from her return look that she felt the same, besides already knowing it. The loving gaze the blonde held on her made Max bashful in her naked state. The brunette bit her lip and tried not to stare at Kate as she walked up to her side, first kissing her shoulder before facing straight ahead to also grab a shirt. She chose quickly, finding a blue one and put it on.

They gave each other a look, smiling before Kate walked away. She gathered a couple pair of pajama pants and handed one to Max. They both put them on and collected their shower toiletries.

Their showers went quickly and soon enough the two left holding hands with their bags in their free hands. Kate saw Max wince as they walked down the hall and turned concerned.

"Em, are you okay?"

"Yeah...no...I have this headache that just seems to be getting worse every minute," Max said, separating their hands to hold her head.

"Make sure you take something before we go, okay?"

"Yeah, I think I _need_ to," Max groaned.

"My sickness is really hitting you hard."

"Yeah..." the brunette looked off thoughtfully, but said, "Let's get in so I can get that aspirin. I think I have some. Hopefully it's not expired."

"I still have some. We're going to my room anyways, so just take mine," Kate said as she put a hand on her girlfriend's back and they continued walking.

Max nodded and they soon reached Kate's door.

"Fuck..." the brunette whimpered and dropped her belongings.

"Max! Are you okay?" Kate moved to be in front of the freckled girl and looked at her face trying to read how bad she was hurting.

The brunette groaned, but said, "I'm okay...it just got really bad for a second. It still hurts, but not as bad."

Kate's did not hide her concern and said, "Maybe we shouldn't go anywhere today, you don't seem to be doing so good, Em."

Max shook her head and said, "I'll be fine...just need aspirin..."

"Okay...I guess we can see how you feel, but I still think you should stay..." Kate said as she picked up the bag from the floor.

Max opened the door and Kate followed with a frown.

The blonde watched Max's every move and her worry slowly became less urgent as she did not see the brunette show any other extreme signs of pain. It still did not erase her concern. She gave her girlfriend some aspirin and a water bottle.

After Max had taken the pills, they began dressing. Looks were exchanged, but it was mostly from Kate and it was aprehensive stares, waiting for something bad to happen. The brunette winced a little as she dressed, but she seemed okay enough. Kate was more than a little distracted and finished putting her clothes on after Max.

They left together with their bags and holding hands. Max seemed to just be facing forward as Kate looked worriedly at her along the way.

As they got to the car, Kate said, "Are you sure you're okay to drive?"

"Yeah...it's not so bad. Drugs should be kicking in soon hopefully." She put on a fake smile.

"Okay...we can turn around anytime you don't feel good...I mean, worse. We can change my number and see Anne another time if we have to."

"I'll be fine, Katie. Thanks for wanting to take care of me though. You are the sweetest." She leaned in and kissed the blonde tenderly. Kate held her carefully as she returned the kiss.

"Okay," she said and despite her concerns, let Max open and close her door. Max went around and sat in the driver's seat, pausing a moment to collect herself before putting the keys in. Kate was about to say something when the brunette started the car and they were off.

Kate tried to distract herself, looking at the window, but she kept glancing over to Max who looked like she was in pain and only seemed to be getting worse. They were now on the edge of town, seemingly by themselves when Kate noticed the car was drifting to the right and when it did not seem their direction was being corrected she looked over and saw Max looking out, dazed.

"Em! Max!"

The car hit the curb and they suddenly stopped as the front left of the car crumpled into a pole. Kate screamed and then turned, horrified at Max who was having a seizure, then screamed again.

"Max! What do I do?! I don't know what to do!"

Blood was trickling and then pouring out of the brunette's nose.

"Oh God, please help me. If you're real then do something, please, oh God, help her!"

She knew God wasn't going to do anything if he was even there at all. Kate forced herself to move and threw open the door. The frame must have been bent, because she had to use all her power to move it. Once it released, the door swiftly extended all the way out. Kate looked around and screamed, "Help me! Somebody help!"

She thought someone might have been there in the distance, but if they were, the person quickly disappeared.

"God, no! I need help!"

Kate ran around to the passenger side. The door was not too difficult to open. Max was still spasming and Kate could only somehow try to make sure she didn't hit her head against anything. Her hands reached out uncertainly and after a few more moments that felt like forever, the seizure stopped.

Now that Max was still, Kate could think again and reached over to the nearest bag and grabbed a phone. She dialed 911 and quickly told the operator what had happened and where they were.

"Yes, the seizure stopped...no...she doesn't seem to be awake. Is she breathing? Oh, God. Check her pulse, how do I..."

Kate put her hand in front of Max's lips and felt a very faint breath. She tried checking her pulse and was not sure she was doing it right. If she was doing it correctly, Max was not doing well.

"Kay..." Max barely breathed.

Kate cried out and dropped the phone, forgetting about the person on the other end.

"Em!" She stared intensely and waited for Max to speak again, wondering now if she imagined it. The brunette's eyes were still closed.

"It's...me..." Max almost whispered. Tears were building up.

Kate looked at her with confusion.

A tear rolled down as Max said, "_I'm_ the camera...Katie..."

Kate mirrored the brunette's anguished face ten fold. Max seemed barely coherent and faded out of consciousness again.

"Max! Em!"

The freckled girl slightly stirred and then was having another seizure. Kate sobbed as she tried to protect Max again, but felt helpless. Once it ended, Kate moved the seat down and took off her seatbelt. She bent over the brunette and whimpered out, "Em...? Please say something...please don't leave me..."

A few moments later, Max barely opened her eyes but did not seem to be looking at anything. She just said, "I'm dying...I know..I am...it's too..."

"No! It's not too late! Someone's coming. They're going to save you. You're not going to leave me!"

"I'm sorry..." Max said, barely audible.

Kate's mind raced. Could she be right? How could she know, the blonde thought. She had to do something.

"No!" Kate screamed and cried over and over with her head next to Max's. She knew it had to do with her powers. She willed God to let them go back. Let Max never have these abilities and let her jump off that roof. She rather be dead than lose Max now, but then it came to her.

Kate quickly reached over to her bag and scrounged through, throwing out everything that wasn't what she was looking for until she found it: The picture. It was the only one here.

Taking the several times folded Polaroid out, Kate put in front of Max and said with a shaky voice, "M-Max? Em...? Y-you n-need to w-wake up. Please...y-you _have_ _to_ look."

Max was not sure where she was now. As her life faded, everything became confusing and she felt a darkness surround her. Somewhere, at the edge of death though, Max pulled herself back for a few more moments. She squinted open her eyes and saw the two of them kissing their fists with a pinkies wrapped together. She knew what this meant. It was another chance, but it also meant a lot of other things: No wedding...no house...no kids...no future beyond this point and no memories of what they had...she wondered: Did Kate really want to go through this once more?

"Again?" Max faintly asked.

"Forever," Kate replied back instantly, without hesitation.

Max cried, knowing truly now how deeply Kate loved her. She focused on the picture before it was too late. Her mind, her consciousness, her very life was fading away fast.

The picture blurred until it became crystal clear and she could hear the hum of the bus's engine.

"I love you, Em..." They were the last words she heard from Kate who stared down with all the love and sorrow anyone could hold at once.

"I love you, Katie..." Max tried to say back, hoping it came through as she found herself suddenly sitting next to Kate, shaking the Polaroid she just took.

She was first feeling shocked, now fully healthy again and with a happy Kate, so far, but still feeling so close to that other horrible time and place.

Kate easily took a hold of it from Max, who let it go and the blonde gleefully said, "It turned out great!"

Max dropped her camera and hugged Kate tight. The blonde was surprised but seemed to welcome the embrace.

"Oh, Katie," Max said, almost crying.

"Katie? I kind of like that, but Max...wait, are you okay?"

The blonde had leaned back and noticed the freckled girl seemed emotional.

"I...I..." A thought came to Max. "I need your sketchbook. Now! Please?" She tried saying her last word with a less intense tone.

Kate hesitantly got out her sketchbook and a pencil and gave them to Max who snatched them up with a brief apology before roughly turning pages back until coming to a blank one.

She couldn't risk typing something and accidentally deleting it, so she wrote as quick as she could. Kate watched worriedly and after a few moments of trying to be polite, she asked, "Um...Max...can I ask what...uh...what you're doing exactly? Are you okay?"

Lyrics from _Between_ _the_ _Bars_ came back to Max, the same part she sang quietly to Kate as she slept and it made her wonder.

_Drink up one more time and I'll make you mine_

_Keep you apart, deep in my heart_

_Separate from the rest, where I like you the best_

_And keep the things that you forgot..._

She did not have time to dwell on what it might mean. Max knew she had to write while she still had time, before she forgot everything. From her experience, it seemed some things she retained, but most she forgot. There was too much _not_ to forgot.

"Max?" Kate asked again.

The brunette looked a moment at what she had started writing. It first read:

_Max, this is you. I am you in the future or another timeline, I don't know, but you have to do exactly what I say. First, do not tell Kate anything yet. You have to do this right or things might end up too diffferent or just go to hell. There are some people you need to meet and we're going to do it better this time. We won't let Kate get hurt like she did before. Remember, above all else, you love Katie with all your heart. You are going to need to let go of her, you know who I'm talking about and I promise it will be okay. I will explain. Also, and most fucking importantly, right now you are going to need to make an appointment as soon as you can._

"Sorry, I'll tell you soon..." She smiled at Kate through her intense work as she continued to write, not wanting to waste another second. In her head, she gave an answer.

_I'm giving us a chance, heart. At least a chance..._

( this is the end, but please check it out also on archive of our own to hear the music if you wish, thank you)


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